We are in the final days of hhgregg, the bankrupt appliance, electronics, and furniture retailer, conjuring that mixture of sadness and aggressive bargain-hunting that happens at the end of any retail operation. What’s left in the stores? If the one in Cincinnati is any indication, there’s nothing left but appliances that are dented or even mangled. [More]
retail
Pranksters Who Spent Two Days In Walmart Were Sick Of It After 35 Minutes
By 5.25.17
If the idea of spending 48 straight hours in a Walmart store sounds like 47.5 hours too many, you’re not alone. Even the two guys who pulled off that dubious accomplishment recently say they were sick of the place not long after walking in. [More]
J. Crew CEO Says It Was A “Big Mistake” To Bank On Elitist Image
By 5.24.17
As J. Crew struggles to compete in today’s tough retail world and avoid going bankrupt like so many other brands, the company’s CEO is admitting that he wasn’t quite prepared for how its high-priced image would fail to lure customers amid competition from fast fashion retailers with cheaper clothing.. [More]
AT&T, DirecTV Workers In 36 States Walk Off Job For 3-Day Strike
By 5.19.17 — Updated: 5.25.17
AT&T customers could find it difficult to obtain help this weekend if something were to happen to their DirecTV, U-Verse, or AT&T wireless service, as AT&T union workers walked off the job today following failed contract negotiations. [More]
4 Things You Should Know About The Ongoing Retail Apocalypse
By 5.19.17
To say that the retail industry has been having a tough go of it in 2017 would be a huge understatement, what with scores of retailers shuttering stores or closing up completely. It’s already been a record-setting year for retail bankruptcies, and it’s not even halfway done. Sadly, the second half of 2017 doesn’t look any better. [More]
Walmart Customer Tackles, Frees Deer From Pet Food Aisle
By 5.18.17
Every once in a while we hear of a wild animal heeding the call to be more human-like by wandering into an establishment that is markedly not for them — from bargain hunting beavers to a seal pup taking a booth at a restaurant. The latest case of animals going not-wild comes from Minnesota, where a deer decided to do some sampling in the pet food aisle of a local Walmart. [More]
Ralph Lauren Gambles On New CEO With Background In Beauty (And Laundry) Products
By 5.17.17 — Updated: 5.25.17
After the last CEO of Ralph Lauren (the clothing company) butted heads with Ralph Lauren (the man) and made a quick exit in February, the company has announced it’s taking a slightly different tack by hiring a new top executive without prior experience in the apparel business. [More]
Target Still Hopeful For Turnaround As Its Shoppers Spend Less At Store
By 5.17.17 — Updated: 5.25.17
Americans are still shopping at Target, but they aren’t buying as much as they did before. That’s a huge problem for the retailer, which claims to have some tricks up its sleeve to turn things around. [More]
Walmart Lowering Grocery Prices To Prep For Battle With U.S. Newcomer Lidl
By 5.16.17
Walmart is already engaged in a price war with one Germany-based discount supermarket chain, Aldi, and now it has to prep for competition from a second low-cost German grocer, Lidl, which is set to open its first U.S. stores this summer. [More]
Walmart To Pay $7.5M After Denying Spousal Benefits To Same-Sex Couples
By 5.16.17
A federal court judge has approved a $7.5 million settlement between Walmart and current and former employees who claimed that the the retailer unfairly discriminated against them by denying health benefits to their same-sex spouses. [More]
Rue21 Officially Becomes Latest Retailer To File For Bankruptcy
By 5.16.17
Teen-targeted retailer rue21, which had already announced plans to close 400 stores and shift its focus to its website, has become the latest retail chain to file for bankruptcy, though it hopes to remain operational. [More]
People Are Still Shopping At JCPenney… But Not For Clothes
By 5.12.17
JCPenney has been moving in on the appliance and home territory more associated with Sears or even Home Depot lately, which is helping the retailer. However, clothing sales are still JCP’s core business, and that’s proving to be a problem as shoppers simply don’t seem interesting in buying their clothes from Penney’s. [More]
The Best Macy’s Can Say About Its Future: “We’re Not Dead”
By 5.11.17
No matter how bad things get for a retailer, its execs are supposed to put on a good face and spin the bad news into something positive. So it may say a lot about Macy’s that the best line its Chief Financial Officer could muster was “We’re not dead.” [More]
Is Sephora Killing The Department Store Beauty Counter?
By 5.11.17
While mall staples and department stores continue to close their doors this year, one subset within the retail industry is enjoying higher sales and decent foot traffic: beauty products. But it’s not the traditional makeup counter inside your local department store that’s become a hot spot for customers, it’s the tech-heavy, try-before-you-buy beauty-specific stores like Sephora and Ulta. [More]
How Aldi Plans To Beat Walmart’s Prices On Groceries
By 5.11.17
For many of us, the most important thing about shopping for groceries isn’t the technology at the checkout line, or the number of artisanal ketchups available; it’s about getting a decent product for the best possible price. Aldi is hoping these pragmatic shoppers will help it win a price war with America’s largest supermarket chains, including Walmart. [More]
Abercrombie Puts ‘For Sale’ Sign On Its Bared, Chiseled Chest
By 5.10.17
After years of struggling to bring in customers and turnaround falling sales, Abercrombie & Fitch shuttered 60 U.S. stores and laid off 150 employees at its headquarters in the first few months of 2017. Now the teen-focused retailer has reportedly put a “for sale” sign on itself. [More]
Target Quietly Raised Minimum Free Shipping Threshold From $25 to $35
By 5.9.17
While Amazon just recently dropped its free shipping minimum from $35 to $25, Target has made the baffling decision to go in the opposite direction, raising its minimum required purchase for free shipping to $35. [More]
Amazon Drops Free Shipping Minimum To $25
By 5.9.17
Online shoppers are benefitting from the e-commerce battle between Amazon and Walmart. Amazon has once again lowered its minimum for free shipping for non-Prime orders, from $35 to $25, undercutting Walmart’s minimum by $10. [More]
