A year ago, we couldn’t have imagined that toilet paper would be the hardest thing to find on store shelves, or that we’d be wearing masks in stores and making purchases behind plexiglass barriers. What 2020 has taught the retail industry — and the whole world — is that a lot can change practically overnight.…
In 2020, retail workers proved to be essential to the economy and society at large. Yet, it's not always clear whether they’re considered essential to employers’ future business plans. If retailers want to compete in an industry that — pandemic or not — is shifting more toward digital, they need to first invest in their…
After a challenging 2020, retailers are eyeing the year ahead with quiet optimism. The arrival of coronavirus vaccines means an end could be in sight to the constant closing and reopening that defined the last year, and stores can look forward to a release of pent-up spending when shoppers venture back out. However, nothing should…
The only two Toys R Us stores, which opened in November 2019 as part of a small U.S. comeback attempt by the iconic toy chain, have now closed, reports AP News. The Toys R Us store at the Galleria mall in Houston shuttered on Jan. 15, while the other at the Garden State Plaza in…
The events of 2020 have forever altered the ways we live, work, eat and shop. As people come to rely on e-commerce for groceries, household essentials and medicine, there's a renewed pressure on retailers to deliver in lighting speed, enable easy returns, and provide a full product profile. This, coupled with the growing trends of…
Target said Monday it will spend $200 million on another round of employee bonuses and extend its coronavirus-related benefits after its strong holiday season. Indeed, Target has been one of the beneficiaries of pandemic trends, as shoppers consolidate trips, fill up bigger baskets and use curbside pickup. That pattern continued over the holidays, boosting the…
Teen apparel retailer American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) outlined plans to close hundreds of stores in the coming years, while it looks to grow it lingerie and activewear brand Aerie to a $2 billion business. Chief Financial Officer Mike Mathias said during a virtual meeting with investors that AEO, which has about 880 stores, is looking to…
Holiday retail sales rose a stronger-than-expected 8.3 percent from 2019, or $789.4 billion, according to data released by the National Retail Federation on Friday. Consumers apparently embraced the gift-giving season as a way to cheer themselves up during the pandemic. The numbers include online and other non-stores sales, which were up 23.9 percent at $209 billion. The NRF had forecast that sales during…
COVID-19 has all companies scrambling to make sense of what the future will look like for their businesses. For retailers, brick-and-mortar real estate is perhaps the most integral part, leaving many to question the best path forward should the country face an even more prolonged lockdown. Do you shutter certain stores? What's the right balance between…
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, frontline employees have been referred to as heroes — and rightly so. Retail and grocery store associates have been the backbone of communities, ensuring businesses could stay open during the crisis. Despite an appreciation of frontline employees, however, businesses are letting them down during this crisis. Frontline employees do not…
