Best Buy is eliminating about 400 members of its Geek Squad workforce, with a goal of outsourcing that work and moving those employees to other positions. The affected positions are on the Geek Squad’s covert team, who often work from their homes to provide remote technical support to customers. A Best Buy spokesperson said that…
When it comes to the fate of brick-and-mortar stores, the jury is still out; for every store closing, there seems to be another one opening. Yet the numbers don’t lie. In the first quarter of 2017 alone, nine major retail chains filed bankruptcy. This is equal to the total number of all filings in 2016.…
Starbucks announced last week that it will be closing all 379 Teavana stores over the coming year. The move will impact 3,300 workers. "The company concluded that despite efforts to reverse the trend through creative merchandising and new store designs, the underperformance was likely to continue," Starbucks said in its third-quarter earnings press release. Most locations…
Summer 2017 has brought many superhero-themed movies to theaters. From "Wonder Woman" to "Spider-Man: Homecoming," people have been flocking to the theaters to get in on the excitement. And yes, these franchises do make a lot of money from ticket sales, but that’s not where the money train ends. The global collectibles category is expected…
Lane Bryant has launched LaneStyle Studio, a free in-store personal styling service. The service is designed to create an elevated retail experience that will drive consumers in-store. Customers can make one-on-one appointments with in-store stylists who act like personal shoppers. The service will be available in over 40 Lane Bryant stores across the country. Lane Bryant operates…
Amazon.com has been in the news recently with its acquisition of Whole Foods Market and record-setting Prime Day. However, traditional brick-and-mortar brands still feel they have a competitive advantage against the (predominantly) online retailer — the in-store shopping experience. Consider that 45 percent of retailers surveyed for Total Retail's most recent research report "The Amazon Effect:…
Sephora said it's planting its "smallest footprint" in the U.S. yet with the launch of freestanding makeup studios. The beauty retailer announced plans last week to roll out the new Sephora Studio concept across the U.S., with the first location opening in Boston this week. The studios will be about 2,000 square feet, less than half…
While e-commerce has been the fall guy for struggling brick-and-mortar retailers, a recent survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers commissioned by Bouncepad shows how technology could drive foot traffic — and purchase power — back in-store. An overwhelming majority of consumers (three out of four) want more tech in-store to improve their experience, but feel like…
This webinar will tackle how retailers can use customer data, including location intelligence, to help them make better decisions.
Long the undisputed leader in e-commerce, Amazon.com has turned its attention to the other piece of the retail puzzle: physical stores. In the last year-and-a-half, Amazon has opened seven bookstores across the country, with plans to open six more by the end of 2017. In addition, Amazon made a big splash last month with it…
