J.C. Penney to Close More Stores Amidst Slowing Sales
January 10, 2019 at 2:53 pm

J. C. Penney announced  on Tuesday that it plans to close three stores by the spring as part of an ongoing evaluation of its performance. The retailer didn't report which stores it planned to close, but said it's currently assessing locations that "may not meet required financial targets or represent a market opportunity to capitalize…

Court Grants Chairman Eddie Lampert One Last Chance to Save Sears
January 9, 2019 at 1:21 pm

A bankruptcy court is giving Sears another chance, offering Chairman Eddie Lampert a deal to buy the company out of bankruptcy, reports CNBC. Lampert's hedge fund ESL Investments has until 4:00 pm on Wed., Jan. 9 to pay a $120 million deposit to save the iconic retailer. Sears Holdings rejected Lampert's original $4.4 billion bid…

The 50 Best Retail Tips of 2018 Are Here!
January 9, 2019 at 1:11 pm

Total Retail is excited to present to you its 50 Best Retail Tips of 2018! For the past several years, the Total Retail editorial team has spent time in the fourth quarter poring over the work of our expert contributors to identify the 50 very best tips of the year, and 2018 was no exception. We…

Sears Plans to Shutter as Chairman Eddie Lampert’s Bid Fails
January 8, 2019 at 12:27 pm

Sears Holdings has rejected Chairman Eddie Lampert’s bid to save the 126-year-old company, setting the storied retailer with more than 50,000 employees on a path to liquidation, people familiar with the situation told CNBC on Tuesday. Sears, which also owns Kmart, planned to announce its liquidation plans Tuesday morning, the people said. Lampert had put forward…

Sears Chairman Eddie Lampert Makes 2 Offers for Bankrupt Retailer
January 4, 2019 at 12:51 pm

Sears Chairman Eddie Lampert has offered two options to try to keep the company afloat, a $4.4 billion plan that would save 425 locations, and a less-ambitious proposal that would keep at least 250 of the little under 700 stores the retailer had when it filed for bankruptcy in October. The primary bid, made through…

Source: Amazon Plans Whole Foods Expansion
January 2, 2019 at 12:31 pm

Amazon.com has plans to expand Whole Foods stores into more suburbs and other areas across the U.S., according to sources familiar with the plans, reports MarketWatch. The retailer is looking to push more of the grocery chain's stores into new areas where more rural customers can take advantage of its two-hour delivery service. Specific location…

Mobile Apps Are Changing the Retail Customer Experience
December 21, 2018 at 1:12 pm

As online retailers continue to put a dent into the profits of traditional brick-and-mortar stores, it’s important for them to understand that there are inherent weaknesses in what online retailers can offer when it comes to customer experience. The most obvious difference is that using online retail sites robs the customer of the ability to…

Gymboree Seeks Bankruptcy Loan, May Close Most of its Stores
December 21, 2018 at 9:58 am

Gymboree is shopping for a bankruptcy loan as it prepares for a second chapter 11 filing in less than two years. The bankruptcy filing, which could come as early January, would allow the struggling children’s apparel retailer to close most of its stores, the people said. However, the company is seeking a bankruptcy loan that…