New York City’s Fifth Avenue has World’s Highest Retail Lease Rates
June 3, 2011

New York City remains the world’s most expensive retail destination as retailers focus on the major fashion capitals pushing global rents in prime locations even higher, according to the latest CB Richard Ellis Global Retail MarketView. The average rent for space along Fifth Avenue from 49th Street up to 59th Street hit $1,900 per square foot in the first quarter.

Customer Survey Shapes Father's Day Gift List for Sears
June 2, 2011

In order to help consumers find the perfect gift for dad on Father's Day, Sears has launched the ultimate "Gift Guy'd" based on a poll of its mySears community and among its Facebook followers. With Father's Day around the corner, Sears' dedication to listening to its consumers is more apparent than ever.

Kanye West Rumored to Launch Fashion Line
June 2, 2011

Sources say that artist Kanye West has taken up residence in Paris and is taking the first steps towards the imminent launch of his high-end clothing line. "While there is no fixed date in the pipeline for the first showing of Kanye's new range, it's thought that a presentation-style format is slated for September," the Telegraph reports. 

Gas Prices Likely Dampened Retail Sales in May
June 1, 2011

Retailers are expected to show a moderate increase in May sales, as high gas prices likely tempered consumer demand for summer clothing and other discretionary items. Analysts on average are expecting a 5.3 percent increase in May sales at stores open at least a year, according to Thomson Reuters data. 

Father's Day Spending Set to Pop
June 1, 2011

Faced with tough budgeting decisions, consumers have put Father’s Day on the back burner for years, but this year Americans seem intent on showering dad with their appreciation. According to the National Retail Federation's Consumer Intentions and Actions Father’s Day survey, conducted by BIGresearch, Americans will shell out an average of $106.49 on dad, up from $94.32 last year and the most in the survey’s eight-year history.

4 Ways to Connect the Customer Service Dots
June 1, 2011

Consumer expectations are at an all-time high, continuing to mandate how shoppers want to be serviced and treated. The question is, how do consumers react when companies fall short in delivering the expected level of customer experience?

The 100 Fastest Growing Retailers 2010-2011
June 1, 2011

We know that you're all interested in how your competition is doing, and since we hadn't seen a true ranking of cross-channel retailers year-over-year after a lot of research, we decided this year to roll up our sleeves, polish up our Excel spreadsheets and do it ourselves!

Cross-Channel 
Retailers to 
Watch
June 1, 2011

While our ranking of the fastest-growing cross-channel retailers features some of the biggest players in the industry, Retail Online Integration is well aware that there are thousands of other private retailers out there making their own strides. As a result, our staff selected five exceptional private retailers to highlight.