Despite news that several national retail chains, including Sears and Toys "R" Us, face bankruptcy in 2017, there is a report that states more retail stores are opening rather...
The retail landscape is always changing. The rise of the internet forever changed the way that consumers shop, but the classic brick-and-mortar retailer with human store...
Business owners must pay attention to a lot of details when creating a marketing campaign for a retail store. They must determine the audience they want to attract, and they...
Big box stores continue to struggle as more and more shoppers turn to the convenience of online shopping for many of their purchases. Target thinks it's found a solution with a...
As of August 2017, seven major retailers declared bankruptcy and more than 5,000 store locations closed their doors permanently. For some retail stores, malls and strip malls,...
Retail trends show back-to-school spending increasing in 2017, with the National Retail Federation's annual survey predicting a 10 percent increase in sales over 2016. This...
For many retailers, there was a time when back-to-school season meant overcrowded stores, extra-long lines and mandatory overtime for already-overworked staff. Thanks to...
Most companies use branding to influence how customers perceive the value of a product, motivating them to pay higher prices. Yet, a small movement of retailers are hoping...
To stay competitive, retailers must continuously update their business models to meet the ever-changing needs of American buyers. Many factors impact retail trends, including...
Macy's Backstage concept started in 2015, and as of 2017, it has grown to 33 stores. The idea is this area of Macy's stores contains off-price retail selections in an effort to...
As of mid-2017, the Republican-led Congress and President Donald Trump have a federal budget to work out over the next year. Part of the budget Trump submitted includes $191...
The death of in-store shopping is greatly exaggerated, according to Barbara Thau of Forbes magazine. Amazon and eBay continue to dominate online shopping, and these two...
In June 2017, Whole Foods Market agreed to a merger with Amazon worth $13.7 billion. Amazon agreed to buy out the high-end grocery chain's stock at $42 per share. Following the...
The customer experience is complex, and mapping the customer journey is a great way to gain more insight into customer interactions. The mapping process involves exploring your...
Thanks in part to Amazon and online shopping experiences, both consumers and landlords may see more and more empty stores. Industry experts estimate between 7,000 and 10,000...
The robots are here, at least in terms of retail sales. That's because artificial intelligence is a part of every step of a customer's retail journey. AI in retail is more than...
The retail landscape is rapidly changing, and few companies are getting hit harder than teen apparel retailers. As teens are ditching the malls in favor of online shopping,...
Buyers are inundated with choices. Order online or buy in store? Brand A or Brand B? Product Y or Product Z? Pay extra for those special features? Which color? As a seller,...
All over the media, you can find dramatic stories about an upcoming retail apocalypse. From reports of store closures to predictions of the death of the brick-and-mortar retail...
Sears and Kmart, both members of Sears Holdings, have been closing stores at an alarming rate. Other stores are in bad repair with everything from broken escalators to sheets...
Amazon Go aims to revolutionize how people shop for groceries, toiletries and other items. However, there's a race happening to see which retailer can implement this kind of...
Drone technology continues to gain popularity with hobbyists and professionals. You likely watch awesome drone footage on news broadcasts or on YouTube showing the latest...
Whether you're running a brick and mortar store or maintaining a retail website, a great deal of traffic in your space is a positive thing. However, your shop is only as...
When brick-and-mortar stores look to the future of retail, they usually focus on trends over the next year as they try to position themselves for a great winter holiday...
Changes in the fashion industry always make waves, and Wal-Mart's takeover of indie favorite ModCloth is no exception. After several weeks of speculation, Wal-Mart confirmed on...
In today's booming retail economy, consumers expect retailers to go the extra mile to give them good customer service. Flexible returns are no longer seen as a perk when buying...
The retail industry is changing quickly, thanks to ever-growing Internet and mobile technology. To stay current, both online and offline businesses are embracing new retail...
When you think about the quintessential shopper, chances are you automatically think of a woman. That stereotype is in the process of falling, however. Male shoppers are...
Short-sighted retailers have a bad habit of underinvesting in the labor force, increasing their struggle to find talent for hourly positions. Employers who view labor purely as...
Ever since President Donald Trump earned enough votes to become the 45th president of the United States, national retailers became a focal point for the anti-Trump movement....
The future of retail isn't necessarily dictated by e-commerce giant Amazon, but other companies should heed the call of creating the best possible customer experience when it...
To Generation Z, companies such as Saturn, Blockbuster, Circuit City and Kodak, once household names, are now just relics of the past. Their faded glory is a reminder that...
Despite being elected President of the United States, Donald Trump is very unpopular with many Americans. Trump's opponents have found a way to fight back that could hit the...
Much of the focus on the economy revolves around millennials, but the next generation, dubbed generation Z, now influences a large chunk of Americans' consumer spending....
There are plenty of reasons for retailers to celebrate as 2016 leaves and 2017 begins. The winter holiday shopping season topped forecast expectations by approaching nearly $1...
The Limited, a clothing chain that targets professional women, may soon close its doors. After a slew of unusual reports from individual branches and media outlets, industry...
Internet use is ubiquitous among modern consumers. While this ensures a base level of technological literacy, it also increases customer expectations during each online and...
Kylie Jenner, the youngest member of the Kardashian/Jenner family, has proven herself to be much more than just a celebrity. Over a 13-month period, Kylie raked in $10 million...
In the past, consumers relied on cash, check or credit cards to purchase goods, but changing payment technologies have transformed the availability of merchandise for...
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday being a thing of the past, retailers are gearing up for a holiday season that is expected to experience a 3.5 percent spending surge in 2016,...
Holiday fashions are likely to see a surge as consumers shop for gifts this year, according to the 2016 Holiday Survey by Deloitte. In fact, clothing is forecasted to make up...
While many would expect a boom in sales to result from department stores expanding and increasing their size, some retailers are taking the opposite approach. Macy's and Kohl's...
Brides of the millennial generation are unwilling to step into the cookie-cutter look perpetuated by their parents and grandparents. Shaping bridal trends, members of this...
Advances in technology not only has transformed the customer service experience; it also has prompted an influx of theft. Bar code fraud, in particular, has led loss prevention...
It's no secret that the popularity of department stores has waned considerably in recent years. Popular department store chains, including Dillard's, Nordstrom, JC Penney and...
Despite protests from workers, many national retail chains have launched Black Friday sales earlier and earlier in recent years. While Thanksgiving Day was once reserved for...
Department stores have long been a staple for on-the-go shoppers looking to buy all their apparel in one place, but the retail landscape is quickly changing. Due to the rise of...
Seasonal stores often seek out temporary storage space during the holidays. From Halloween costume shops to Christmas decor specialty stores, the need is significant, but...
From simplifying customer choices to creating luxury shopping experiences for every member of the family — including pets — retail trends in 2016 run the gamut. As brands adapt...
Every retailer, no matter how big or small, needs a website to survive in the contemporary shopping landscape. But did you know that you still might miss a critical part of...
As of September 2016, there are 728 Macy's stores. This number will drop by more than 10 percent in 2017 when the retail giant closes 100 of its stores. While the...
"Shoppertainment" is a buzzword used by retailers to describe an overall in-store experience designed to bring customers back into brick-and-mortar stores. National retailers...
Whether a company owns five stores or 5,000, store managers play a vital role for retailers. These employees work hard in front of customers and employees while putting in a...
Business Insider chose to go inside Macy's at its flagship location in Manhattan shortly after the corporation announced it was closing stores. The closings, which CEO Jeff...
One retail trend after another emerged in 2016, and national chains saw some of their best gains in more than a year in June. Check out some of the hottest retail trends...
America's largest retailers, including Target and Wal-Mart, are starting to shift towards smaller locations rather than utilizing huge retail stores billed as "super" or...
When customers come to your online shopping site, you can gather significant amounts of data about them. However, it can be tricky to do this when they walk into your retail...
Pokemon Go is an augmented reality app game that combines GPS in smartphones, Maps data from Google, and everyone's favorite animated show about a cute little mouse-like...
For the first time, the average consumer now makes more online purchases than offline ones. Survey results suggest that the growth in popularity of online shopping could be due...
Traditional retailers face an uphill climb in the contemporary consumer-based economy. The same methods brick-and-mortar stores used to sell items in the past may not work now,...
A common myth among department stores in the age of online shopping is that discounts and sales gimmicks bring customers back into stores and keeps them there. Unfortunately,...
Retail stores face a daunting proposition in 2016. As their market share continues to decline, traditional brick-and-mortar stores must compete against Amazon if they want to...
When using blanket sales strategies on your customer base, you may miss conversion opportunities and waste resources on marketing campaigns that offer a limited return on your...
Department stores face an uphill climb as several major retailers try to recapture their former glory in 2016. National chains, such as Macy's, Kohl's, Sears and JCPenney, must...
One element of the overall customer experience in retail includes getting to know the people who walk in the door. Regular patrons create a loyal base of returning customers...
More and more retail outlets offer customers a chance to make charitable donations in checkout lines. The clerk usually asks you to make a donation after ringing up your...
Traditional brick-and-mortar retailers face a crossroads as they try to compete with Amazon.com. Ever since its introduction in 2005, Amazon Prime has been the Cadillac of...
Not all smartphone buyers want to spend hundreds of dollars to get the latest high-end device. A less expensive way to get online is to purchase mid-range or budget...
Anthony Debrant is proof positive you can turn your passion for a hobby into a retail enterprise. Debrant, 17, created an online sneaker broker called SneakMart. The youngster...
Nordstrom, one of America's stalwart high-end retail stores, announced it is cutting jobs at its corporate headquarters. As many as 400 people are without jobs due to a drop in...
Wal-Mart stores continue to try to compete with online retailers, especially Amazon.com, for a larger share of the retail market. To that end, Wal-Mart decided to expand its...
Workers across the country have been fervently fighting to see the minimum wage increased to $15 an hour, and several cities have already put plans in place to make this...
New York and California have just reached deals to increase their state minimum wages to $15. While these increases only affect two states, both tend to lead the way in laws...
Pay disparity between men and women has made headlines in recent years. Statistics show that women earned about 79 cents for every dollar men made in 2014. Reasons for pay...
While the average retail employee makes just under $10 per hour as of 2015, earnings can vary widely, with some salespeople earning bonuses and commissions or taking advantage...
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of a person working in retail is $21,410 per year as of 2015, which is significantly lower than that of the...
In November 2015, the World Economic Forum revealed that the economic gap between women and men could take more than 118 years to close. Although reports show that the pay...
Pay disparity made headlines after the Great Recession ended when people protested against Wal-Mart's low wages and scheduling practices. The retail giant listened and raised...
As the holiday season comes to a close, Macy's is one of many retailers suffering from economic woes. After posting disappointing numbers coming in to 2016, the company...
Two major trends during the 2015 winter holiday shopping season emerged for retailers, and these shifts in consumer spending may cause national chains to rethink sales...
Better-than-expected online sales during the 2015 winter holiday shopping season created a surprising benefit for employees within the retail industry. Higher-paying jobs for...
High-end retailers have made a fortune selling merchandise emblazoned with their corporate logos. From the interlocking LV design of Louis Vuitton to the instantly recognizable...
Retailers love the winter holidays, as it means more revenue at a time when everyone shops for the gift-giving season. Thanks to low gas prices and a better economy, the 2015...
Strong customer relationships are essential to long-term business success in any industry. However, winning customers is only part of the battle. Once a relationship is...
Every winter, the holiday shopping season brings with it a windfall of American consumers in search of the perfect gifts. The keys for retailers to boost sales during this...
U.S. retail sales fell below the anticipated 0.3 percent rise in October 2015. The actual 0.1 percent climb has retailers wondering what to anticipate during the 2015 holiday...
The National Retail Federation predicts a robust holiday shopping season for 2015 with as much as $630 billion in sales revenue. Consumers plan to spend more time shopping on...
Rising costs and stagnant wages are hitting the middle class harder than ever. Despite some economic growth in 2015, middle-class workers are still struggling to save money...
Black Friday sales may diminish slightly in 2015, but that doesn't mean consumers shy away from the winter holiday shopping season. More and more customers gear up for sales...
Macy's 2015 opening of One Below, a youth-oriented shopping experience in the New York City flagship location's basement area, is part of the retailers dedicated efforts to...
In September 2014, Apple announced the introduction of Apple Pay, a mobile wallet system that allows users to pay at retail locations with their Apple mobile devices, including...
Speedy delivery options, once the domain of corporate offices and the wealthy, have become more accessible in recent years. Amazon, for example, started to offer its Amazon...
Online grocery shopping is a convenient option for many consumers, from busy parents to elderly people who are unable to drive. Until recently, however, grocery stores have...
Recent consumer studies indicate that as many as 32 million Americans do their Christmas shopping early. Any business that intends to take advantage of Christmas creep must be...
Big data and metrics turn a shopping trip into a data-mining bonanza as retailers market products towards customers. A retail purchase, coupled with some personal information...
On Sept. 3, 2014, CVS Caremark announced that all its retail pharmacy locations had officially ended sales of tobacco products, making a powerful statement to cigarette...
A recent New York Times article regarding people who work for Amazon revealed a very competitive company culture built around hard work, precise data mining and high turnover...
Studies suggest that nearly 75 percent of consumers suddenly abandon shopping carts online every year. Businesses that anticipate more sales and then lose business can truly...
As the second-largest retail event of the year, back-to-school shopping draws families to brick-and-mortar stores and online websites in droves. While parents once organized...
A major retailer has ended on-call shifts four months after the New York attorney general's office informed 13 employers in the state that they must pay workers at least four...
Understanding the customer base is the first rule of marketing. Yet, many influential companies repeatedly fail to connect with the millennial generation because they develop...
Online commerce giant Amazon.com held its first Prime Day shopping event to celebrate the retailer's 20th birthday. The company claims it was a smashing success, despite...
Vaunted national clothing retailer Macy's joined other companies when it decided to cut ties with Donald Trump and his company, The Trump Organization. Macy's carried the...
The American retail industry has seen several changes in shopping malls in recent years as once-vaunted retailers Sears, Macy's, J.C. Penney Co. and others have closed stores....
Canadian yoga apparel manufacturer Lululemon faces another massive recall after its second product mishap in two years. The 2015 Lululemon recall revolves around 318,000...
Online retailers, such as Amazon.com, continually disrupt how brick-and-mortar stores operate. Consumer spending has changed thanks to technology, and online grocery shopping...
Millions of consumers across the United States rely on mobile phones, smartphones and connected devices in their everyday lives. As such, mobile advertising has become an...
According to the stereotype, millennials spend all their time glued to their smartphones, streaming media and interacting with mobile apps. However, research released in June...
Cashless payments in the United Kingdom have overtaken cash-based transactions as the preferred method for consumers to purchase items. This first occurred in July 2014,...
The idea of a cashless society may sound like science fiction. Imagine a world where everyone depends on electronic payments made by swipe cards, thumbprints or retinal scans....
Social media has reinvented the way people and businesses communicate with one another. Retailers can use social media platforms to create a strong and loyal customer base. By...
Millennials represent a generation of people who does not engage in traditional banking activities as much as previous generations. The advent of PayPal, prepaid debit cards...
An Asian trade pact among 12 nations may allow Nike to create up to 10,000 jobs in the United States over the next 10 years. The agreement, brokered by the Obama...
Loyalty rewards programs have seen steady increases in popularity over the years, and are a useful means for successful branding. Consumers can be easily motivated or...
Brick-and-mortar retail stores represent the basic way American consumers shop for food, goods, products and electronics. Some store owners get caught up in one retail myth...
A small business that suffers damage or loss has plenty of options with regards to government assistance, lower-interest loans and tax breaks in order to try to recover some of...
According to recent research, smaller clothing markets, such as Washington, D.C. and Orlando, are pulling ahead of the biggest clothing markets in the United States. These...
Customer success typically happens after a customer buys a product or service, and then that client needs to have additional contact with your company to further define how the...
Grocery stores gained notoriety for huge, big-box stores that opened during the 1990s and early 2000s. With the advent of online shopping and changing customer bases, huge...
National retailer GameStop buys and sells merchandise from current gaming systems. Customers can walk in with a gently used Nintendo Wii, XBox 360 or Playstation 3 console, as...
Retailers all over the country are looking for ways to attract teen customers to their stores. Customers who have a good experience as teens are likely to shop at some of the...
Losses due to theft amount to $13 billion each year in the retail industry, or roughly $35 million per day. Stores trying to compete with e-commerce websites need to have every...
Aldi has taken the retail industry by storm, making the shopping experience better for customers and taking market share from other established grocery chains. The discount...
In late 2012, Hostess Brands sold its assets amid rising production costs and lower demand for its products. The long-standing American staple was a household name due to its...
Online shopping has taken the retail world by storm since consumers love the convenience of buying and receiving a wide variety of items in their homes. National retailers make...
Families and retailers alike stood in awe of the future when Mattel announced in early 2015 that it was developing an interactive Barbie doll that would use artificial...
In some communities, thrift stores don't have the best reputation. Many people believe these stores sell stained clothing, old-fashioned furniture and general merchandise that...
A drop in disposable income among middle-class Americans created a squeeze for national retailers from 2007 to 2013. Despite good news with regard to 2014 holiday hiring, lower...
Fashion trucks — mobile boutiques that sell trendy fashion products from the backs of trucks — have taken over more American city streets in recent years. These trucks started...
When it comes to retail expansion, industry giants such as Wal-Mart and Target have a lot to learn. Wal-Mart abandoned its retail expansion plan nine years after entering...
If toy companies have their way, 2015 may be the year of the drone with several new offerings of toy drones in the works based on the popular quadcopter design. Drone...
The retail industry has changed markedly since 2010. More consumers love the convenience of shopping anytime, anywhere and at any store thanks to increased shopping technology...
E-commerce is a vital part of most retail operations, and creating a positive e-commerce experience is essential to boosting sales and retaining customers. Brick-and-mortar...
Mattel's newest version of Hello Barbie just got smarter. The toymaker announced in February 2015 that the doll can talk to a child and have potentially intelligent...
Gender-neutral clothing is in fashion, at least according to the British department store Selfridges, which recently opened a three-story pop-up shop completely dedicated to...
L.L.Bean has decided to follow the same strategy as Wal-Mart as it moves its brand forward. The outdoor retailer announced that it will focus on building smaller stores rather...
A traditional grocery store stands out by offering convenient hours, unique selections and excellent customer service. Other supermarkets go to more extraordinary lengths to...
With the continued growth of digital technology and online merchandising, 2015 brings several retail trends likely to influence shopping habits. From Bluetooth capable in-store...
By early 2015, drone technology had advanced to the point that commercial enterprises were using small, remote-piloted aircraft for aerial photographs, overhead inspections and...
National retailers competing with Amazon have realized that the customer experience in brick-and-mortar stores must incorporate the ease of online shopping. Many stores such as...
Vaunted national retailer J.C. Penney rebounded in late 2014, and the chain looks to continue this momentum in 2015 by combining new marketing strategies with its...
Barnes & Noble, the brick-and-mortar bookseller that has been competing with Amazon for market share, announced in late February 2015 that it was creating an entirely new...
Despite the fact that the typical company receives only a small fraction of its total e-commerce revenue from shoppers on smartphones and other mobile devices, mobile apps...
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to raise the minimum wage the company pays its employees to $9 per hour by April 2015, and the wage goes to $10 per hour a year later. The move...
The retail industry is well-known for being competitive. With constantly changing trends and customers increasingly demanding a seamless, omnichannel shopping experience,...
Amazon.com has become a retail force thanks to diversified products, Amazon Prime memberships, outstanding customer service and guaranteed shipping. Retail customers discover...
Walmart saw impressive growth and expansion through the 1990s and 2000s thanks to Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Academy sporting goods stores. However, in 2014, the...
With the convenience and immediacy of modern technology transforming the marketplace, customer demands are changing rapidly and forcing companies to conform to a new retail...
If you have a limited amount of money to attract and retain new customers, you might think loyalty programs are an expensive waste of time. In reality, these programs help...
Whole Foods market remains a health-food juggernaut, despite the company's recent earnings debacles that drastically lowered its stock price in 2014. John Mackey, the CEO and...
In 2015, many new and exciting products are available. However, there are just as many products and services that may not be as necessary as they once were. Here are 10...
Industry leader Domino's Pizza plans to pursue its technological gains made in 2014 well into 2015. The pizza chain mastered digital ordering with its customers, and the...
Small businesses form the lifeblood of communities because they hire local talent, keep dollars within the area and help lead initiatives that support residents. In the era of...
Starbucks is looking to take full advantage of the rapid growth of mobile technology with their first Mobile Order and Pay app. The mobile app allows customers to place their...
J.C. Penney recently announced plans to once again distribute print catalogues to consumers after phasing out catalogues in 2009. This move appears to be the latest sales...
Big Show 2015, sponsored by the National Retail Federation, provided Forbes magazine with the opportunity to survey a cross section of retail chief executive officers about...
The luxury shopping experience serves as an example for all retailers, and it sets the bar high for meeting consumer demands and expectations. Consider some of the industry...
Every retailer wants to earn a reputation for having impeccable customer service, but that isn’t an honor earned overnight. It takes time to hone in on what exactly what your...
Poor retail sales in Target stores across Canada have led the company to pull out of Canada altogether. The company plans to close all of its retail stores in that country, a...
With an ever-increasing number of consumers turning to the convenience of online shopping, the retail industry is undergoing dramatic shifts. Macy's Inc. recently became the...
Customer loyalty is important for businesses, but figuring out how to get that loyalty can be tough. One approach is to learn lessons from companies who have already succeeded...
Every year around the winter holidays, consumers find out just how much shopping technology and retail stores have changed from past years. Once-vaunted consumer giants K-Mart...
The use of retail technology to engage with customers is a great way to evoke customer loyalty, but only if it's used the right way. Retailers can't rely on the same retail...
Consumers finally got back to spending in late 2014, thanks to lower gas prices, an improved economy and a better housing market. Retail trends pointed towards more...
The success of pop-up retailing in the digital age is no surprise. Although shopping online is convenient, consumers still enjoy browsing real-world merchandise and receiving...
Timing is everything when it comes to meeting your customer's needs. Customer service strategies have to be priority when striving to increase revenue and overall satisfaction...
The retail industry has been rapidly evolving in recent years, and experts predict that it will undergo even greater changes in 2015. Here are some of the hottest retail trends...
McDonald's looks to regain its sales moxie thanks, in part, to an application that automatically beams offers, coupons and promotions straight to customers' smartphones. The...
Retail sales have not been as strong as retailers had hoped this holiday season, but they may have been just good enough to meet, if not exceed, expectations. While holiday...
Shoppers on e-commerce sites dictate the inventory and stock a company keeps. This bucks past trends that showed big box, brick-and-mortar stores that carried limited inventory...
Twenty years ago, customer expectations for retailers were set far lower, and many businesses did not fear the repercussions of offering a poor customer service experience....
Big data is not just for large corporations. Modern technology makes it easy for every business to increase sales through data acquisition and analysis. Many retail operations...
Tommy Hilfiger typifies the American dream. His brand grew from a small business in upstate New York to a juggernaut of the fashion industry in less than 20 years. The fashion...
Killer holiday sales are not guaranteed. Retailers that want a big shopping season have to work hard, be prepared and have enough inventory to meet demand for consumers seeking...
During the holidays, retailers often expect to rush in herds of shoppers. As shopping trends evolve, the long lines may still exist, but an increase in retail shopping using...
Understanding customers is an essential element to running a successful business. This requires a multi-pronged approach to ensure you are getting a complete picture of your...
Competition is fierce in the retail industry, and brand loyalty is the key to keeping customers coming back again and again. Social media marketing helps foster connections...
Thanksgiving day shopping started in 2012 as retailers tried to recover from the recession of 2007. Two years later, more traditional shoppers can blame millennials for stores...
Every year, retailers gear up for the frenzied weekend of business that begins sometime after Thanksgiving dinner and ends around Monday at midnight. After it's all said and...
Getting your holiday season sales up and running is no doubt very important to you when the season gets underway. As with any season, sales nuances commonly occur. However, if...
For sales professionals, a tablet computer is more than a convenient mobile computing device; it is also a valuable sales tool. The portability and easy connectivity of a...
Businesses of all sizes spend considerable time and money on attracting new customers. However, the true measure of a company's success is its level of customer loyalty. The...
More than a dozen national retailers touted a lack of holiday hours in 2014 to take a stand against other major chains that chose to expand Black Friday shopping into...
Once the twin terror of Black Friday and Cyber Monday is over, it's the season to be jolly, unless you're in retail, of course. As anyone who has spent five minutes in retail...
Walmart employees who belong to the OUR Walmart movement plan Black Friday strikes in front of 1,600 stores to start the 2014 holiday shopping season. This continues a trend...
As the 2014 holiday season draws nearer, American merchants are increasingly turning to industry experts for the retail predictions that will help guide marketing and sales...
Debbie Sterling's newest engineering-themed toy is a GoldieBlox action figure that allows girls to build a toy-sized zipline for the golden-haired genius to travel to...
Walmart doesn't have a great reputation in the retail industry, but the results of a poll released by Nielsen indicate the company does not have the worst reputation among...
The growth of Amazon sales channels outpaces rival eBay by more than seven times. The key to Amazon's success combines efficient delivery systems, additional stores using the...
The economy is back and better than ever, especially if Accenture's 2014 holiday shopping study rings true. A whopping 66 percent of American consumers surveyed by Accenture...
Heading out to shop on Black Friday each year sometimes feels like planning a military campaign. While there are some great deals to be found, Black Friday shoppers often...
With the emergence of powerful superstores on the retail plane, many people wonder whether small businesses or superstores are better. Whether one is better than the other...
Retail sales increased in October, fueling hopes that the economic recovery is gaining ground. Encouraging retail sales suggest that consumer confidence is increasing in the...
The United Kingdom's booming housing market tapped into a robust home and garden sector in the third quarter of 2014, giving a boost to online searches for vacuums, nutritional...
A celebrity endorsement can prove to be effective in increasing sales, so a retailer that goes out on a limb and uses one to bring a product or brand into the limelight may be...
It’s that time of year again when you begin seeing visions of sales beyond your wildest dreams or at least meeting projected sales estimates. The mobile site industry can help...
Many customers decide to visit retail stores of all kinds during busy retail seasons, but multitudes may leave without making a purchase. Consider some simple tips to gain new...
J. Crew is a popular retailer among young to middle-aged adults who prefer a casual yet sophisticated style. While many of its direct competitors have sought to capitalize on...
Savvy business owners know that the secret to retail success is gaining repeat customers who are loyal to their brand for years. After all, a single customer makes just one...
It is common for companies to hire seasonal employees around the holidays, when stores extend their hours and experience an increased number of shoppers. Employers must look...
For businesses in the retail industry, millenial customers are a valuable asset. If your store can create a loyal customer out of a millenial, it can pay off in continued...
Comcast has received a lot of negative press in 2014 due to its sometimes rabid customer service and shady business practices, but the recent proposal of the Comcast merger has...
The rising use of smartphones means two major things to marketers: data and advertising space. Consumers now have devices that know where they are in the world, and they have...
When Ron Johnson was in charge of JCPenney, the company struggled to gain a foothold in a competitive market. Fortunately, things have changed since Mike Ullman took the helm....
As Amazon grows into an increasingly powerful online retailer, owners of brick and mortar stores are left wondering if they can keep up. After all, most businesses cannot match...
Retail sales trends point to one basic truth about the future of the industry: Technology that achieves more self-sufficiency for shoppers is here to stay. Consumers look for...
Best Buy was once a powerhouse of gadgets and electronics, ready and eager to serve tech-hungry consumers of all ages. The brick-and-mortar store enjoyed many prosperous years...
Retailers are facing major challenges in the modern world. However, by embracing each retail challenge and changing the way they operate, businesses can continue to...
E-commerce has already become the new standard shopping platform for most modern consumers, and the Internet is only going to become increasingly prevalent in people's...
The demand for retail space is rising with an increase in consumer confidence. As employment begins to recover from the economic recession, confidence in the ability to spend...
When it comes to purchasing, many consumers only buy top-name brands, even if there are inexpensive store brands available. Marketing is the only sound reason for this decision...
It's become abundantly clear that the future of retail is computer- and mobile-phone-oriented. These days, most people do the majority of their shopping online because of the...
With the continued release of innovative smartphone technology, it is clear that mobile shopping is here to stay. While most major retailers and small businesses realize the...
In the retail world, returned items are an inevitable part of business. What many retailers fail to realize is the opportunity within each return transaction. Rather than just...
The ability to listen is essential if you want to progress in almost any career. Working on your listening skills can improve your relationships with colleagues, clients and...
When angry consumers turn to social media to voice their concerns, a private customer service issue can become a public spectacle and cripple your company's reputation....
Hackers have breached Home Depot's security system, prompting fears that customers' credit card data could have been stolen and offered for sale. The breach could have begun as...
The future of retail is firmly entangled with the Internet, and savvy retailers are learning to adapt. In addition to embracing Internet commerce, retail growth requires...
The popular home improvement store Home Depot is the latest victim of the BlackPOS virus, which is a malware virus that siphons user data during payment transactions. Everyone...
In a competitive retail world where every sale counts, attracting new customers and retaining old ones is imperative to sales success. You can increase customer satisfaction...
In the decades since Howard Schultz first acquired Starbucks in 1987, the company has gone through periods of change and renewal. In a recent case study, “Starbucks Coffee...
Consumers no longer search for one product at a time — they want to multitask and get information quickly and precisely. Pinterest fills this need. With Pinterest, consumers...
The digital age has heralded the use of technology in all aspects of commerce. Grocery stores, music stores and even the local bakery are using mobile technology to market...
Though a busy retail season is a profitable period for businesses, it can also feel like a burden if employees and managers are unprepared. Learning techniques to raise...
Retail jobs are known for their long hours, strenuous physical labor, relatively low pay and thankless responsibilities. They are certainly not for the thin-skinned or weak at...
Macy's Inc., a highly regarded retailer and one of the few relatively bright spots in the U.S. retail industry, released weaker-than-expected second-quarter results and lowered...
Wal-Mart recently announced that sales at its biggest retail stores have been falling. As a result, Wal-Mart is changing its retail strategy to include more small neighborhood...
Retailers are ramping up their back-to-school campaigns in earnest, enticing parents to spend their hard-earned dollars on school supplies. According to the National Retail...
In an attempt to outdo each other in providing the best possible customer service, Amazon and Google are both providing the option of same-day delivery to their customers....
Two city leaders in San Francisco introduced the Retail Workers Bill of Rights in July 2014, an ordinance that aims to protect the city's 28,000 restaurant, hotel, bank and...
Those who work in the retail industry are notoriously underpaid. But there are companies that actually do pay their employees who work in retail sales a livable wage. Costco is...
Although retail work is often seen as a low-paying job in general, new studies show that retail workers are actually making less now than they did in the late 1970s. When...
Retail jobs are an excellent training ground for the rest of your professional career. After all, where else can you gain firsthand experience in customer service, long hours...
For the past several years, cheap retail has been one of the top industry trends largely due to the tough economic times that followed the recession of 2008. As the economy...
The Tesla sales model has the potential to shake up the automobile retail sales industry. Company CEO Elon Musk wants to sell his electric vehicles directly to consumers...
In the wake of a struggling economy, many big retail stores are still clinging to their old pay decreases, refusing to pay higher wages. However, what many of these companies...
The National Retail Federation, the world's largest retail trade association, lowered its 2014 retail outlook in July after a slow first half of the year. The original...
Facebook and Twitter are some of the most successful faces of social media, boasting millions of active users, so it is no wonder they are focusing their sights on retail....
Since its launch in 2005, Amazon Prime has expanded dramatically from its original inception as a basic free shipping plan. Now, Prime customers have access to a range of...
Barnes & Noble announced plans to spin off its Nook Media digital sales division. The split, expected to be completed in April 2015, separates the company’s flailing Nook...
The hospitality and retail industries combine to make up 20 percent of U.S. jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Good wages, however, are often difficult to find...
As technology and the Internet transform the shopping experience, traditional retailers are struggling to keep pace with online businesses. Instead of working against the...
The beginning of 2014 has marked a tough year for retail, with the winter's harsh weather affecting post-holiday sales in January along with a host of other factors. However,...
After a series of photos depicting men carrying large rifles through the aisles of Target were posted by gun-rights groups in Texas, the retail chain has modified its gun...
Four big companies are bucking the employer trend by paying more than minimum wage to service-industry personnel. While the federal government struggles to raise the pay for...
After a decline in brick-and-mortar sales, Apple’s retail division is attempting to make a recovery, and the technology giant’s competitors are taking notice. Despite flagging...
In the past year, Lululemon Athletica and American Apparel have struggled to overcome bad publicity. Recently, both companies faced trouble from their respective founders,...
The release of the Amazon Fire phone in early June 2014 spurred endless chatter and speculation as business experts rushed to analyze the latest product from the online...
For many young people, a retail job after school or during summer vacation is a rite of passage. However, working in retail can also open doors to career opportunities that...
A retail job, with its long hours and regular physical exertion, can be tough to handle. Despite the challenge, jobs in retail teach valuable skills that are transferable to...
Colorado marijuana laws increase tourism, create new businesses and provide a few pitfalls for the Centennial State. While medicinal and recreational marijuana offer benefits...
From apparel to home furnishings, footwear, and fragrances, the retail industry forms a major sector of the global economy. Retail locations in shopping centers and standalone...
Even as the U.S. economy begins to recover, many retailers are still suffering from underperforming stores and sluggish sales. According to the Huffington Post, previously...
The Starbucks mobile app is a convenient way for customers of the world-renowned coffee shop to save a little time and earn some free rewards. Accrued benefits combined with...
As the largest retailer chains in the world, it's hard to imagine Walmart experiencing anything other than success. Recently, however, the chain has been going through...
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, over four million Americans work in retail. However, these jobs are not known for their high salaries. Many people...
The Internet has changed the way consumers shop for merchandise. Customers now have more retail options and methods to research the details of those options than ever before....
The future of shopping may be in that most familiar of shopping fixtures: the mannequin. Of course, these mannequins aren't like the fiberglass and plastic mannequins of old....
The Internet takes the pain out of shopping, making it easy to find your favorite products at the best prices. Unfortunately, online shopping also makes it more difficult to...
With the growing popularity of mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets and lighter, thinner portable computers, mobile shopping is booming. Customers on the go have more...
Everyone dislikes waiting at the supermarket checkout, particularly when the line is several customers deep and everyone has carts piled high. This is only natural, so why has...
For retail professionals, 2014 has not been the promising year that was predicted by industry experts. After the relatively solid retail numbers that came out of the 2013...
Goodwill retail is booming. Both store locations and company revenue have shot up significantly since 2008, when the recession spurred many consumers to take a greater interest...
In an economy where many retailers are struggling to balance brick-and-mortar sales against booming online revenues, one industry is finding success in creating more retail...
Online shopping is good for business but bad for retailers. Traditional brick-and-mortar retail stores have to adjust marketing strategies to attract shoppers and compete with...
If you like to shop, it should come as no surprise to you that the top retail brands in the United States are also some of the biggest brands in the world. According to...
Getting a retail job does not have to be complicated. The National Retail Federation recently partnered with Macy’s retail recruiters to determine what matters in retail...
Retail credit cards are used daily around the globe but have now become a target for cyber crimes. Many retailers are looking to increase security to protect their customers...
You can't get tomorrow's sales with yesterday's business practices. Businesses everywhere need to constantly reinvent and adapt sales strategies to ensure consistent profits....
Michael Kors, a designer company that sells affordable luxury clothing and accessories, has been blowing away the competition in retail. Despite its high-priced items, the...
The growth of the online book marketplace and the shift into e-book formats has led to a sharp rise of the number of books that are sold over the Internet or through mobile...
Since the advent of online shopping, the latest threat to hit brick-and-mortar retail stores is "showrooming": the practice of browsing a store's products in person, then...
Retail merchandisers are employed by brand manufacturers, rather than by specific stores, and they work with various stores to ensure that their employer's goods are displayed...
The exploration of weather's influence on sales reveals that inclement weather often influences retail sales negatively. Yet, while bad weather can create some grim profit...
Over the last 5 years, technological advances have led to major changes in the way retail companies promote, sell, and even manufacture and warehouse products. Some of these...
The retail industry is constantly evolving to meet changing consumer demand. Customers used to look at merchandise and compare prices by visiting their favorite...
Customer satisfaction has the power to make or break a retailer. While many companies consistently provide more than satisfactory customer service to their clientele, some...
On February 19, 2014, clothing retailer Gap Inc. announced that it would raise the minimum wage for its employees to $10 per hour by June 2015. The wage increase would affect...
With a heavy growth in online stores, companies in the retail industry are struggling with keeping customers coming back to their brick-and-mortar locations. As customers are...
Sales of personal computers declined in 2013 with first quarter shipments at nearly 14 percent less than they were the previous year. Microsoft introduced the revamped Windows...
Like any industry, the retail industry has its share of successes and failures. Some retail companies are very profitable, while others lose money because they don't adapt to...
Customer service manager positions in the retail field may seem fairly common, but competition for them is often fierce. Those looking for management positions in customer...
Recent J.C. Penney news has been anything but good for stockholders after the last two years have seen sales plunge by 31 percent. There is a ray of hope on the horizon because...
The latest Internet Trends report says mobile traffic makes up 15 percent of all online traffic. Every industry can benefit from this trend, but it is especially important for...
In the past several years, many consumers have expressed growing concern over the way that images are edited. In response to heavily retouched photos, an anti-Photoshop...
The recent recession hit the merchandizing sector hard and made a significant impact on retail hiring. Many retailers reduced their team sizes, and overall, industry employment...
High-profile security breaches at retail outlets made the news as the holiday season wound down in 2013. Many credit card numbers were determined to be at risk after hackers...
Retail business owners and managers have likely heard about the change to Colorado marijuana laws that allow consumers to purchase the substance for recreational use. A variety...
Retailers have had to ride out some troubling times recently, including a sluggish economy, shifts in middle-class consumer spending, and changing access to goods through the...
The National Football League (NFL) is more than a sports organization; it also affects local retailers across the country. From sales of NFL merchandise to increased foot...
At the end of 2013, the sales numbers coming out of the retail industry did not meet expectations. As the final numbers for the year were released, however, it appeared that...
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz recently noted that electronic commerce has radically changed the landscape of the retail market. The Starbucks CEO statement included the thought...
Each year, the National Retail Federation holds its conference in New York City, and 2014 was huge. The NRF conference was completely sold out and featured several keynote...
In 2013, Gmail introduced a tabbed layout to give users more control over their inboxes. This layout sorts messages according to several different Gmail tabs. Users pick the...
Tech companies have made inroads into the brick-and-mortar retail world over the past year, giving them a spot to secure retail sales alongside stores that have traditionally...
If you are trying to land one of the retail jobs available in your area, preparing for the job interview should be one of your top priorities. The interview is your chance to...
The US economy is driven by consumer spending, and there's no concentration of consumer spending quite as intense as the one during the month or so leading up to Christmas....
Brick-and-mortar retail locations are a longtime business staple. Consumers enticed by low prices online and quick shipping still do the majority of their shopping in offline...
Jeff Bezos is known for making overarching promises, but he's also known for delivering. When he announced a future Amazon drone shipping program on television in late 2013,...
The power of networking speaks to the power of referrals. When competition is high and positions are limited, a good word from a respected retail professional can nudge you...
The retail industry experiences frequent employee turnover, which means that most retail professionals will search for multiple jobs in the course of their careers. By...
Workers in retail often find themselves pressed with additional work during busy holiday and sales periods. The industry as a whole seems to be focused on profits and regularly...
For retail workers, the holidays can be a nightmare. Large crowds, frustrated shoppers, confusing holiday sales, and frequent returns all add up to long, busy days....
As the end of the year draws closer, retailers are focused on holiday sales. For many, social media advertising is a crucial sales driver, particularly when it comes to...
One of the many challenges in today’s workplace is getting the generations working together. The work habits and goals of Veterans differ from those of 20-somethings. ...
The eXperticity platform has been gaining momentum with retail stores throughout the retail industry. The software application is designed to give retail stores the ability to...
If you’re working in retail and your career has hit a dead end, it might be time to switch companies. Best Buy was in a nosedive last year. Everyone thought the electronics...
Several retail companies took big financial hits during the economic recession as consumers tightened their belts, and a few even went out of business completely. The recovery...
For years, the Friday after Thanksgiving has been known as Black Friday. For the retail industry, it's one of the biggest shopping days of the year, and many consider it the...
“Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” This was a line from a 60’s movie, “Love Story,” with Ali McGraw and Ryan O’Neal. That may be love, but leadership means you...
As the holiday season draws nearer, many customers are turning to mobile shopping apps to help them find the best sales and deals. A new app called Retale displays local deals...
You’ve held the same job in retail for the last five years. One or maybe even two of your colleagues have managed to pass you and get promoted. It’s frustrating because you...
Retail management jobs aren't easy jobs to obtain. Not only do you need to have experience in retail sales but also you need to have excellent people skills, time management...
Adding military type high-tech aviation to its package delivery options, online retail giant Amazon is grabbing headlines, even a 60-Minutes segment, with its flying drones....
Everyone knows that customer satisfaction is important for a successful retail business. Finding personable, friendly, helpful employees for retail is critical. They keep...
It's said that the holiday season comes earlier every year, and that's certainly true in the case of Black Friday shopping. Black Friday sales, in which retailers offer some of...
The holiday season is more than a time for gifts and good fellowship; it's also the time when the retail sector sees its highest levels of activity. In a consumer economy, the...
You’ve recently graduated (or are about to graduate) and you’re looking for a job in retail management. The bad news: jobs are scarce and the competition is fierce. The good...
Retail stores typically anticipate a surge in sales during the last quarter of the year. However, according to an article posted on The Wall Street Journal's website, a recent...
As the holiday season approaches, the number of retail job openings typically increases. Whether you are looking for a way to earn extra money or an opportunity to get your...
You’ve been working part time and during summers for a retailer as a sales associate. It’s been mostly grunt work with a smattering of some real work off and on. You didn’t...
Forget about listing your strengths and weaknesses. Forget about where you see yourself five years from now. These and other trite overused interview questions just don’t cut...
Most fast-food restaurant owners, managers, and workers understand the tight balancing line between fast-food wages and fast-food prices. Customers visiting fast-food...
One of the goals of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, is to increase the number of people who have healthcare coverage. With the new law beginning to take...
If you graduated in June and you’re still looking for a job, you may have considered applying for a holiday temp job. The same holds true if you were recently laid off or...
Many stereotypes about the frequency and habits of shopping men fill the media. Retail experts are likely to already understand through their own knowledge of shopping trends...
So your last boss was a jerk, and you were happy to get out of that dead-end job. Your next boss was a good guy, but wasn’t much of a manager. The employees did pretty much...
Retail jobs get a lot of bad press for being entry-level, minimal skill and low-paying. The adjectives may be true, but it doesn’t mean that retail jobs don’t have a lot of...
Christmas in July? Lots of retail stores practice this pre-pre holiday tradition, drawing in shoppers who are gearing up for the holiday season by hunting early bargains. Even...
Facing an increasing threat from online giant Amazon—which is adding physical warehouses from coast to coast—mega discounter Walmart is pulling out all the stops for holiday...
Each holiday season, print and digital publications release their "best tech gifts" lists to give shoppers ideas for the trendiest technology gifts. For people in the...
Thousands of retail websites compete against each other for new customers each year. As a result, retailers must use cheap shipping, sales, and other special promotions to...
Who’s pushing the envelope in retailing these days? Surprise. It’s Nordstrom, the upscale fashion retailer founded in 1901. With 225 stores bringing in over $10 billion in...
Each year, people take temporary positions at local retail stores to make extra money. For most retail stores, hiring seasonal employees to help out through the holiday season...
The future of mobile retail seems bright, and many major retailers are gearing up to ensure they can handle increased sales to the mobile market. As users become more and more...
It’s time for the morning fire-up session on the floor with all the retail sales associates. You gather in a circle, go over the promotions, special offers and markdowns for...
Looking for a rewarding career in retail? Whether you’re a recent grad or have a few years of experience under your belt, there are a number of steps you can take to improve...
The retail industry is the bedrock of America's consumer-driven economy. Near the end of the year, sales are always expected to rise in anticipation of the holiday season,...
Smartphones have made PCs an almost obsolete tool for mining information. Even laptops are too bulky to drag around to look up information. It’s much easier to shop, browse...
If you’re pursuing a career in retailing and want to know where the jobs will be in 2014, look to Big Data and Supply Chain. The demand in these areas is expected to be huge as...
Mobile payments have revolutionized the way many people pay a range of bills stretching from utilities to insurance. The options available to mobile customers continue to...
Everyone likes getting a good price on the products they buy. This explains the popularity of outlet stores that sell brand name products at cheaper prices. However, not all...
Retail jobs may start out with a low hourly wage, long hours on your feet and dealing with difficult customers, but they do have their rewards--flexible hours, working in an...
Before applying for jobs, you likely scan advertisements for hiring companies' desirable perks. Health insurance benefits probably sit somewhere near the top of your "wants"...
There is much written about the generational differences between the Baby Boomers, those born between 1945 and 1965, and the Millennials, the 20-somethings that are slowly...
The retail industry depends heavily on consumer confidence and provides a great indicator of the overall state of the national economy. Fast-growing retailers lead the pack,...
Mark Twain wrote, “Work is a necessary evil to be avoided.” One wonders what he might of thought of grunt work; those annoying, sometimes frustrating and frequently unrewarding...
If you're of a certain age, you'll remember the carnage of the Great Cola Wars of the early 1980s. Somewhere deep in the bowels of the soda and fast food industry, it was...
For many people who work in the retail industry, it is difficult to advance beyond the standard part-time jobs available in many stores. Recently, the clothing retailer Forever...
Bed Bath & Beyond isn't typically seen as a discount brand. The popular home goods store specializes in a variety of high-end appliances and linens that are typically priced...
Retail workers get training on products and services, how to troubleshoot repairs and a lot of customer service training. Successful retail professionals are excellent sales...
When the mobile phone was first introduced, it was a big, bulky thing that looked like a comedy prop. Nevertheless, it was seen as a major innovation, and then it was quietly...
With the holiday shopping season just around the corner, the number of part-time and temporary retail jobs available is set to increase. People already employed by retail...
According to the National Retail Federation, retail spending for the 2012 holiday season totaled $579.8 billion, representing a 3 percent year-over-year increase. A recent...
If you’ve decided to pursue a career in retail, it’s important to pick the right company to work for, one that values your contributions and offers a steady, somewhat...
As summer winds down, retailers are beginning to implement fashion trends that were introduced months ago in high-end fashion shows. Whether you work in a customer-facing...
So your last job was with a major retailer with lots of opportunity to learn and advance. It was a tough interview process and you beat out a lot of other qualified,...
While the United States has been struggling through recession and numerous people have found themselves without work, Amazon.com has continually grown and has steadily...
Retail industry numbers for July show modest growth of 0.2 percent from June. However, the real news in the retail industry is the 5.2 percent increase from July 2012 to July...
In 2009, the minimum wage was raised to $7.25 an hour. This was a boon for retail and service workers, who work some of the lowest paid jobs in America. The pay increase was...
There’s a change coming in retail. You may have noticed it. Retailers are reaching out with mobile technology and online tools to bring in customers. And with back to school...
Long before credit cards made buying things on credit so easy, pawn shops provided fast cash for collateral, loaning money with high interest rates for merchandise until the...
You made all the right moves so far in your retail career. You recently got promoted to manger but you’ve always had your eye on an executive post. In Your career: from...
Apparently, you don't need to go on holiday to stock up on souvenirs: According to the Centre for Retail Research, the British retail industry can expect $121 million in sales...
Dressing for success took on a whole new meaning with Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook. Here’s a guy worth about $9.4 billion, and he confesses to wearing the same thing...
If you hear the words Nike and golf, which celebrity comes to mind? Tiger Woods, of course. What about Garnier Nutrisse hair color? You can probably see those thick, blond...
The back-to-school shopping season is the second-busiest shopping season of the year, but there is also a lot of competition in the retail world, and parents are planning their...
You took that low paying retail gig because you needed the bread to pay back your college loan. But you’re wondering if folding jeans in a display rack is what your business...
For professionals who work in the retail industry, consumer-based retail trends have the power to change the nature of that work, both in stores and online. By staying on top...
Retail jobs are known for requiring a great deal of flexibility, especially when it comes to scheduling work hours. Many employers require their employees to work a combination...
The increasing popularity of online shopping and the ready availability of user reviews give consumers an unprecedented amount of power in the purchasing process. This...
Like working in retail but hate the idea that it’s not high-tech driven? That your techy career compatriots will be pushing the envelope in mobile and web tech working for an...
What would you do for a 24 percent raise? Stage a walkout? A sit-down strike? Work harder? Fast-food workers in seven states have staged short-term walkouts in favor of a...
The city council of Washington, D.C., recently passed the Large Retailer Accountability Act to raise the minimum wage of some retail workers to a living wage of $12.50 per...
If you are looking to make a move from your current retail job to a position with another employer, going on several rounds of interviews without getting a job offer is...
While sales floor jobs and those requiring no degree are disappearing faster than two-bit candy bars, skilled high-tech, logistics and managerial positions are increasingly in...
When an adult is faced with a medical problem, it’s a simple choice—call the doctor and make an appointment. When a child is sick or hurt, it’s a necessity. Who better to care...
Dunkin' Donuts is venturing westward, led not by its signature sugar-coated donuts but by its new coffee-centric branding. The Boston-based breakfast eatery is making waves in...
The Washington, D.C., city council just passed a living-wage bill requiring large retailers to pay low wage employees a living wage of $12.50 per hour instead of the district's...
If you’re like many college grads, you think working in retail is something you did during the summer and not exactly a top career choice. In a recent article in...
Summer is the time for kicking back, relaxing and being cool. Or at least trying to stay cool. If you work in a retail setting and don’t have to wear a uniform, you probably...
The millennial generation is defined as those born between 1981 and 2000, and sometimes this group is called generation Y. Millennial kids came of age at or near the beginning...
Pinterest and other social networks are changing the way retailers stock merchandise, with some stores changing the way they buy and display goods based on social media trends....
Good news/bad news for college grads seeking to break into the job market via the internship route. The good news: unpaid internships may be going the way of smoking in the...
A retail job is a job of choice for a lot of college students because of the flexible hours, evening hours available after daytime classes, and a relatively stress-free job...
You worked hard for your BA in business, economics or marketing. But will it work just as hard for you in getting a decent job? You graduated with a solid GPA and good...
With 79 million millennials (young people between the ages of 16 and 34) spending money, wouldn’t retailers like to know not only what they’re spending money on but also why? ...
Even the most minor change to the economy can affect the way people spend money. When the economy suffers problems, retail sales drop, but sales can increase again when...
Time management is an essential skill for success in any job, but those who work in retail aren't always in charge of their day. This is especially true for employees in a...
Whether you have worked in the retail industry for five years or twenty, you know that price is one of the most important factors consumers consider when deciding whether to...
It isn’t unusual to shop in a retail store and observe a check-out clerk checking her cell phone messages or texting in between customers. Any lull in activity and out come the...
You tossed your graduation cap in the air, and before it hit the ground, you realized you need a job. But you heard that employers are being flooded with resumes and that they...
For most restaurant diners, the first stop upon arrival isn’t the restroom. Most would choose a seat at the bar or lounge area to wait out their reservation. But according to...
Outsourcing is one of the hottest topics debated among industry professionals. Some argue that hiring cheaper workers helps keep costs down, while others point out that those...
After a few sluggish years across many industries, strong auto sales are helping to lead a comeback in retail. Companies selling cars were not the only entities to see an...
Everyone knows retailers collect information on their customers. Whether you go to a brick-and-mortar store or shop online, your personal information is sought after as an...
You’re a recent college grad and you finally got that all-important job interview. The HR manager said they had selected you out of hundreds of applicants. The pressure to be...
Although tech fanatics may prophesy the end of the physical retail shop, big-box stores and small businesses alike are holding their own in many markets. Retailers can't ignore...
The idea of divvying up stores into smaller, quasi-independent sections has been around for decades. In recent memory, JCPenney famously failed to impress consumers with this...
The simple concept of an online corkboard has completely changed the way people do business. Pinterest users have the power to influence industry trends and promote sales, so...
Shopping for a new car can either be an exciting adventure or a nightmare. The thrill of test driving cars that you couldn’t possibly afford during your lifetime. The feel of a...
You’re armed to the teeth for your retail management interview. You’ve got your finance, marketing or econ degree, a stratospheric GPA, recommendation letters that glow in the...
For classic brands that have a foothold in the marketplace, changes are not always welcome. When major shifts occur, established brands are forced to adapt or fade into...
If you’re looking to land a primo retail job, you have to realize that you’ll be competing with hundreds of qualified candidates. They’ll be sending in resumes that pretty much...
If you’re looking for a job, there are a lot of things working against you. Even though the unemployment rate has gone down in 48 states in 2012, it’s holding steady at about...
One of the biggest challenges of working with retail customers is that they come in such a wide range of ages. Unless you work in a store that caters to members of a specific...
Ron Johnson took over as the new chief executive officer of JCPenney in late 2011. Company stakeholders expected Johnson to do much more than lead the company; they wanted him...
A shaky economy reduces consumer confidence, making it hard for retailers to sell luxury goods and other items that consumers do not need for survival. Executives track metrics...
As more people turn to the Internet for their shopping needs, companies need to follow the hottest online shopping trends to stay on top. Whether you work for a company with an...
If you’re a recent college graduate and you’ve been scouring the newspaper want ads, job websites, and Craigslist for fashion buyer jobs, you can expect a long period of...
College graduation is an exciting time. It’s a time of endings—your classroom days are behind you and it’s time to pack up your dorm room or apartment and look for that first...
For older employees, the job hunt can be a tedious and terrifying task. According to an article at MSN Money, baby boomers between jobs in recent years searched for an average...
Retail markets have undergone serious changes during the last decade, and the future of retail may seem uncertain, depending on which set of statistics you read in any given...
As of May 2013, the Marketplace Fairness Act had yet to get through the House of Representatives, but it had already been passed by the Senate. This means online retailers are...
Seems everyone has one. Whether it’s a tramp stamp, a poem, butterfly or skull. A Pew Research poll from 2010 noted that nearly a quarter of all Americans have a tattoo, with...
Retail is one of those industries where just about anyone with a high school diploma and a desire to work hard can get a job. It’s the favorite place to get a job for students,...
In 1953, it was pretty simple to order a meal at McDonalds. You had a choice of a hamburger or cheeseburger, fries, a malt shake and five kinds of drinks. No McRibs or Crispy...
When it comes to getting that entry-level management post in retail, it’s not only who you know but what you know. And the “what” just got a little easier. Arming...
Traditionally, retail jobs are considered soft skills positions. Unlike in fields such as nursing, data entry, or carpentry, which rely on workers performing quantifiable hard...
The retail industry has a significant impact on the environment, as retailers use a great deal of energy to source and transport products to their brick-and-mortar stores and...
If you’re a newly promoted retail manager, you may be asked to hire and train sales associates, clerks and part-time employees. Jobs like these are often filled with teenagers,...
So, you’ve had a bad day at work or looking for a job. Your kids are driving you crazy and your spouse decided to repaint the kitchen while you were gone…a bright lime green....
Sears is known for the quality of their Craftsman tool line and their lifetime guarantee. They are also known for their signature line of Kenmore appliances. They aren’t known...
When you watch television or read the newspaper today, you might see reports and articles talking about the future of retail. Many of these reports use retail market analysis...
About the Author: David Bakke is a former manager of a popular Italian restaurant chain in Atlanta. He now writes about smart money management, finances, and careers on the...
If you’re a recent business or MBA grad eager to land a job in retail, you need to be one step ahead of retail trends. And one of the hottest trends to watch is where designer...
As the Internet revolutionizes the shopping experience, owners of traditional retail outlets are feeling the pressure. Customers use online retail outlets to find better deals...
For people who want to manage their own health, natural remedies can be less costly and less intrusive than medical procedures. Whether you run a business that focuses on...
With the advent of online shopping sites and smart phones, brick-and-mortar retail outlets have a new obstacle to overcome: showrooming. This happens when consumers come in to...
JCPenney stores originally opened as discount shops where customers could find good deals and low prices on clothing, home goods, and other items. As the brand grew, the...
There is a saying, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” When you find a job, career, or business that you truly love—one that you would do even if...
Amancio Ortega, the founder of the Zara clothing company, proves that you can create a fashion empire from humble beginnings. If you are looking to begin a retail career with...
There's no doubt about it: Internet shopping and selling are here to stay. As consumers become increasingly dependent on mobile and Web technologies to find the best deals,...
In the retail industry, the types of sales goals you have are more important than the speed in which you meet them. It is important to set realistic expectations for your...
Many employees in the food processing, jewelry, citrus, toy, novelty, and jewelry industries are part of a retail workers union known as the Retail, Wholesale and Department...
If you expect to be a rising young star in retailing, you’ll need to know about the changes that are driving the industry. Chief among these is the concept of omni-channel...
Staying on top of retail trends is imperative to the growth of your company. One of the most popular current store marketing tactics is to have a store inside of your store....
The first Uniqlo store appeared in Hiroshima, Japan, in 1984. Owned by Fast Retailing, the company started out as a roadside store and become an international fashion retailer....
With more than 10,700 Sam's and Walmart stores around the globe, Walmart is indisputably the discount leader in the retail industry. This industry giant sells everything from...
As a retailer, you already know that any business is driven by the needs and desires of its customers. When organizations like Greenpeace get involved in an issue and phrases...
It’s tough losing a job. It doesn’t matter if you’re a corporate giant, a mid-level manager, someone on the production line or making lattes at the local coffee barista. The...
If you’re eager to move into retail management, you’ll be pleased to know that some major retailers are offering college-level classes that can help you reach your...
Almost all large retail corporations were once much smaller companies, or even one-person endeavors. The IKEA retail globalization is a prime example of massive expansion from...
Just when retail seemed to be headed exclusively online, new waves of retailers are finding that the shopping experience can’t be fully satisfying without the ability to feel...
When running a retail business, having access to overnight shipping methods can mean the difference between a very happy customer and an unhappy one. Three of the most popular...
Thanks to the recent viral video of the Dove experiment on the way women see themselves, it means more self-examination and better insight into the reality of one’s own...
If you hope to be a rising young retail star, you’ll need to immerse yourself in the tech breakthroughs that will move your organization into the next decade. One major...
Having mastered, and in some cases dominated, their markets in the U.S., three giants of American service and retail are looking to lock down the entire North American...
For big-box retailers, a tough economy and an increasingly Internet-dependent shopping culture can disrupt business as usual. In order to stay viable in a changing environment,...
With low interest rates, high gas prices and a sluggish economy, a dollar doesn’t seem to go very far. So who would think that stores that build their entire business model on...
A common claim by applicants in interviews is, “I’m a workaholic.” While this might seem to suggest they are someone who loves to work, it can actually refer to a harmful...
If you expect to be a rising young star in retail, you need to know how the industry is changing. In brick-and-mortar or online, trendsetters are changing the way shoppers are...
Few people would take on the task of writing their own obituary. Others, like Mark Twain, made a joke when his obituary was mistakenly printed when he was still quite alive....
Lululemon Athletica, a popular retailer of yoga and active clothing, is known for its stringent return policies. After a recent incident with poor customer service during a...
Current retail-industry trends suggest many retail companies are experiencing a rough patch in sales, to put it kindly. Consumers are working with smaller paychecks and...
The push to increase minimum wage by the federal government has elicited a slew of commentary from both naysayers and supporters. The retail industry is no different. From...
If you’re a manager or sales executive in teen apparel, you need to be “reading the tea leaves.” Reduced mall attendance, bad weather and stiff overseas competition are...
Some people subscribe to the stereotype that woman bosses tend to be, well, witches. Those who do will be sorely disappointed to learn that women-owned businesses are on the...
To survive in the coming years, brick-and-mortar retail managers will have to adapt to the coming sea change of ecommerce and mobile shopping. According to comSCORE,...
Walmart is bringing new meaning to the old phrase, “I’ll buy if you fly,” and not just for late night burger and beer runs. The big box store is looking to use its current...
Companies are in the business of making money. It may not be the first line of their mission statement, but if they aren’t making a profit, they won’t be around very...
No one can dispute that the way people shop is changing, and fast. A survey of 500 retail shoppers found that 73 percent do half of their shopping online. Sixty-six percent...
If you’re like most Millennials working in retail, you’ll want to get off the sales floor and into management. Unfortunately, in this economy, the competition for management...
Employers are flooded with more resumes than they know what to do with and many don’t get a second glance. Counting on a simple black and white skill set to stand out in a pile...
When New York City tried to ban supersized soft drinks, there was an uproar loud and clear. Not only would the ban of supersized soft drinks hurt sales, but people didn’t want...
The retail industry has been hit hard by the economy. Though February saw a slight rise, the market is still struggling and so are the employees who are trying to survive and...
The 1-2-3 punch of a payroll tax hike, higher gas prices and delayed tax refunds is starting to take its toll on retail sales. Retailers are not taking it lying down. They’re...
There are so many choices in life. At the grocery checkout, you have to answer the question, “Paper or Plastic.” At the Drive-Thru, “Do you want to supersize your order of...
What do J.C. Penney and Apple have in common? Not much. They both have retail stores. One is high-tech; another is “old school.” They may be very different in product and...
A jump in online and mobile shopping is dramatically changing the face of retailing. If you’re in retail sales, you need to have your ear to the ground on the fast-changing...
It’s not just St. Patrick Day decorations that have retailers seeing green. Target, CVS, Whole Foods, Giant grocery stores, The Gap and yes, even WalMart are all big businesses...
High overhead and rising rents have driven many retailers out of business in the struggling economy. This hasn’t stopped innovative entrepreneurs from thinking outside of the...
If you’re a retail executive, you know that fraud, theft and similar losses threaten your bottom line. A study conducted at the end of last year by the Centre for Retail...
Need to know what the weather is in Nova Scotia, how to make vegetarian-vegan lasagna, or what kind of shoes Adele was wearing on the Red Carpet at the Oscars? Google it....
Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse for online retailers, Congress recently sponsored legislation to tax online sales. If passed, the Marketplace Fairness Act...
Look out Fashion Week 2014! There’s a new label in New York City with some “smart” designs. The U.S. Postal Service recently announced plans to establish a showroom in the...
In his recent State of the Union address, President Obama proposed a startling and swift raise of the national minimum wage. He presented his plans to implement a 24% increase...
As a retail manager, you can’t help but notice that many grocery store shoppers are developing a distrust of pricing technology. They’re becoming increasingly vigilant as shelf...
Savvy retailers know there are lots of ways their customers will “feel the love” on Valentine’s Day. Even in this down economy, the National Retail Federation noted that...
After the recent announcement that Canada is pulling its penny from circulation, the debate about whether or not to keep the U.S. penny in production is buzzing once again....
Social image bulletin board, Pinterest highlights a plethora of products that peak people’s online interest. The virtual pin board allows users to organize and share images...
If you’re a retail executive, you might want to consider boosting your online presence in 2013. The National Retail Federation’s economic forecast projects retail sales to rise...
Retailers are turning to technology for tools to keep costs down and contend with online competitors. Kronos Incorporated’s recent release of their Workforce Tablet™ Analytics,...
For today’s luxury and upscale retailers, turning couture into cash may be easier by buying products made in the USA. The reasons for buying American seem to be adding up...
Wal-Mart is constantly under scrutiny. Whether it’s about workers rights, imported good or the effect big box stores have on mom-and-pop shops in the current economy, there’s...
Defying the gloom and doom predicted for high-end, brick-and-mortar retailers, Macy's posted a 4.1 percent December gain in same-store sales, buttressed by a whopping 52...
New online child protection rules issued by the FTC just before Christmas left many retailers scratching their heads. According to the FTC, retailers can no longer record...
It’s that time of year where everyone has settled down after holiday travels and visits with out of town guests. People hugging, laughing, kissing and dancing have passed...
The trend for thriving retail stores is to open their business to the Internet by offering online stores. Polaroid, however, has decided to take an opposite approach in 2013....
There’s little doubt that Facebook and Twitter have changed the face of social-media marketing. But one undeniable fact still remains: when it comes to driving retail sales,...
Retailing has, for the most part, served the mother lode of suburban shoppers. These cash-rich, high-FICO buyers have long been the gold standard, hitting malls and boutiques...
Amidst the sobering realization that they can’t stop showrooming—customers checking out products, then price shopping via smartphones to buy them online for less—many stores...
Would you believe that the most popular holiday gift doesn’t have any gears, buttons, gadgets or apps? Gift givers find the price pretty reasonable and receivers rarely return...
Brentwood, TN.-based Tractor Supply sells everything from tools to toys. The giant retail chain dominates the home improvement, agriculture, lawn and garden market. What makes...
Let’s face it, in retail, discounting only gets you so far. Margins quickly become so thin that even volume can’t put things in the black. The solution? Unite and conquer with...
It’s happened time and time again; technology grows up and gives way to the latest and greatest innovation. Consumers jump on the bandwagon as it passes by as closet and thrift...
No one needs Macy’s Santa to tell them that skates are cheaper at Gimble’s anymore. The days of running around town comparative-shopping are gone. Now, customers simply come...
Millions of shoppers will be retuning items bought by or for them after the holidays. Most will have learned by now that returning an item is much easier with a sales receipt....
As super model Heidi Klum often advised, “one day you’re in, the next day you’re out.” That certainly holds true in retail as a recent Forbes article revealed which strategies...
There’s one thing everyone seems to want for Christmas this year and it’s not the latest iGadget. Customers want receipts. 61.9 percent of holiday shoppers say they provide a...
Door buster sales, free bags of toys and one-time-only discounts seem to have become another part of the Thanksgiving tradition. Each year, on the day after Thanksgiving,...
If your customers are tweeting, it’s a good chance they’ll help boost your retail sales this holiday season. And that’s important, especially since the National Retail...
The EyeSee model, sold by Italian producer Almax SpA is the first face profiling system to reside in a mannequin. It was designed and manufactured by Kee Square in...
Black Friday is right around the corner and retailers are pulling out all the stops to maximize sales. While retailers would rather have in-store shoppers who boost sales with...
The future might not seem as bleak as the 2009 movie Zombieland, but even without the apocalyptic-undead epidemic, it doesn’t seem so bright for anyone who wants to enjoy a...
If you’re a retail executive or operations manager, you’re no doubt eager to cut operating costs in these tough economic times. One way to do that is by cutting out the...
The biggest retail holiday of the year is quickly approaching and Wal-Mart has unveiled its plans for the Black Friday sales that will actually start at 8 p.m. on Thursday....
J.C. Penney’s roller coaster ride of three P's–prices, policies and procedures—can serve as a valuable lesson to sales managers and sales VP's nationwide. The giant retailer...
In recent years the retail market has witnessed the fall of giants in the many industries. Video stores are pretty much extinct and book stores are headed in that direction....
If you’re retailing to moms, you should be aware of how these key consumers recommend your products. A recent article in Retailing Today noted that there is a difference in how...
It’s a common stereotype that politicians have many faces. At Halloween that can be a very good thing for candidates and retail companies alike - especially in an election...
Pop-up shops, popular in countries like Canada, the U.S., Britain and Australia, allow companies to create a unique environment that engage customers and promote interactivity....
It wasn’t the new fall styles that drew crowds of people to the sidewalks of New York City's posh Fifth Avenue shopping district last Wednesday. Workers from major companies...
Is the godless market growing? Are non-believers becoming an influential force in retail sales? A 2010 Pew Research Center survey—cited in a recent article in Bloomberg...
Retailers serious about boosting their businesses should support local campaigns that step up pedestrian traffic around their stores. Cities with a strong infrastructure that...
In a relatively new twist to comparison shopping, today’s tech-equipped shoppers often visit a store to evaluate an item, then use their smartphones to “shop” for a lower price...
Who would have thought a catalog could cause so much controversy? The Washington Journal reports that IKEA's catalog is shipped all over the world, with the company this year...
Grocery retailers have always operated on paper-thin profit margins. Squeezed by ever-rising grocery prices, today’s consumers are cutting back on purchases, even making fewer...
Breaking free of the magnetic strip technology developed in the 1960s and 70s that is still in use today, merchants and financial institutions are switching the standard to the...
As a retail manager in these tough economic times, you have to address many key issues of your business. Not the least of these are the price point adjustments you’ll need for...
Achieving greater sales is every business owner’s objective. Advertising is an effective way to do this. Getting the company name and logo out in the public eye is a marketing...
In the 1970s a local bank president told my father, “One day we won’t need bank tellers. Everyone will just be able to put their money into a machine.” At the time, my dad...
Among the many retail trends highlighted for 2012 and beyond by TrendWatching.com’s September 2012 Trend Briefing is the move toward cashless buying. This goes way beyond...
Making friends becomes more difficult with age. Life presents more challenges that make it harder to get close to new people. Everyone reaches a stage when life focuses...
In these tough economic times, it’s important for retail sales managers to know why people shop—almost as much as where and when they shop. While “where and when” studies have...
The contestants on Project Runway aren’t the only ones being judged this week. As Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week starts in New York, a year-long battle between Christian Louboutin...
As a retail manager, can you really afford to lose even a single customer in this hyper-competitive economy? These days, most customers are just itching to find a reason not to...
Back to school sales went better than expected across the country. Despite slow economic recovery and surging gas prices, Americans have increased their spending in August for...
Back to school is crunch time for retailers. They know that in this highly competitive economy, consumers want the latest fashions, the best quality, and the lowest price they...
External theft can be damaging to any retail business’s profit margins but detaining a shoplifter can cost more in the long run if not handled properly. It’s a thin line...
I remember one trip to Abercrombie & Fitch when I was in high school. My dad recommended it when we were clothes shopping one afternoon. In his head, it was legendary for its...
I saw someone I know working in retail the other day. He had been working retail as the manager of a video shop when I first met him ten years ago. The video store had...
This morning I was sipping my morning coffee and answering emails while watching the news when a story came on that made me stop in mid-sip. The news reporter said that J.C....
I had to find a killer outfit for a job interview, so I went to my favorite retail store, Ann Taylor Loft. I didn’t want something frumpy or just “OK,” and I trust ATL to have...
Many young women dream of becoming fashion models. Made popular by such TV shows as “America’s Next Top Model” and “Victoria’s Secret” annual fashion extravaganza, fashion...
When it comes to the fashion industry, there are many different avenues you could pursue, and each has its special requirements and can be drastically different from other...
With the various fashion “reality” type shows that are now on television, the interest in fashion related fields has seen a slight increas in recent times. Here are some...
The retail job industry, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, is filled with more than nine million people. The amount of competition for these positions tends to be...
Retail is a very good place to start a career. If you can guard gold from pirates on a ship, you can work at Fort Knox. In other words, the job is tough and you will learn...
My daughter works at an upscale mall in Atlanta for a small designer who has boutique space within a major department store. She loves her job. Who wouldn’t—working with...
We've all heard of daily deal sites like Groupon, and many of us, especially those of us who are looking for a job and trying to stretch our budget, have even bought into a few...
Do you create stress or overcome it at work? Potential employers look for people who thrive in crunch time. When you’re In The Hot Seat, list examples of stressful situations...
Whether you are working in a retail sales job that puts you in direct contact with customers, or if you are in the position of supervising those who do, there are several tips...
Every year at Valentine’s Day I hear the same complaint from single and partnered friends alike. They gripe that the holiday is a fabrication devised by greeting card and candy...
J.C. Penney's has unveiled a new pricing plan that might help them make a comeback.As I'm sure you know, J.C. Penney has been struggling to stay profitable for a few years now....
It seems like technology is increasingly making the retailer's job that much easier. We all know that with the internet, social media, smartphones, and the like, the future of...
Bad news for fans of the blue light special; Kmart and Sears are preparing to shut down 120 stores across the nation. No word has been given yet as to when the closings will be...
Some retail establishments have high turnover rates. When you’re In The Hot Seat assure the manager that you intend to stay for a while and you’re more likely to be hired....
Image via WikipediaA look at Walmart.The holiday season is almost over and with it, the crazy holiday shopping season. Even for those of us who are out of work and looking for...
I've already written a couple of posts on tips for getting a holiday job and holiday job trends but I figure the more the merrier!While browsing the web I came across a great,...
A staple in holiday shopping, the Macy’s store in San Antonio, Texas is wrapped with controversy this Christmas. Retail employee, Natalie Johnson was fired recently sparking a...
Understanding the man-gagement ring. This might be a little off-topic, but I was reading an article about how the jewelry industry had been hurting lately because with so...
Apparently the shoppers to target this holiday season are seniors. This article states that not only are they growing in numbers but are also growing wealthier. It goes on to...
Have you survived the biggest boom of holiday shopping this year? Anyone who works in retail knows that this past week has been hectic. It’s what film crews would refer to as...
GoogleImagesOnline Sales TaxWhat does this have to do with retail jobs? Well, according to an article in MarketWatch, Ohioans could be graced with 11,000 new retail jobs. It...
Working in retail you see a lot of what people need, what people want and what people will buy. Often products are released on the market or someone sells a big idea that makes...
The 2011 Holiday Season It seems that "experts" don't believe the retail sector will produce more jobs for this year's holiday season. Even when it seems that consumers will...
To succeed in retail you have to stay on top of trends and one major theme to watch while job hunting is fashion. Showing up in style will help with your interview; on the...
GoogleimagesThis will be a monthly series discussing news and updates in the retail industry that I find interesting. There's always something new happening. Trends are always...
If you’re looking for a retail job, brand yourself to meet the company image when you’re In The Hot Seat. Sob stories should be saved for after you've been hired.By Heather...
Image via Wikipedia Many retailers are planning to hire fewer holiday workers this year. Now that the summer is over, many people who are looking for jobs are considering...
While browsing the web I came across 3 hot topics in the retail industry right now: 1) Back-to-school trends According to surveys conducted by the National Retail...
Abercrombie & Fitch find themselves in a situation after a press release offering to pay Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino and other Jersey Shore cast members to refrain from...
It’s fine to flaunt you fashion flair when looking for a retail job but keep your political opinions under wraps when you’re In The Hot Seat.By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a...
GoogleimagesWe have all noticed when going into a supermarket, an airport, a gas station...the increasing use of vending machines or "self-service" checkout lines. Some experts...
Don’t get yourself in a situation on the job hunt. Keep your shirt on In The Hot Seat.By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a multimedia developer with experience in web, film,...
It can be tough enough to find a retail job in the current economy. Finding one with benefits may seem to require a miracle. Don’t be so down though. Take a spoon full of sugar...
It’s important to shop around when looking for a job but be careful of impulse buys that will bite you back.By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a multimedia developer with...
Taken from googleimagesIs it important for retailers to be neutral when it comes to politics? Is this something that attracts or repels us from supporting a retailer?I've only...
What’s going on with Wal-Mart? Recently, news of one of the largest sex-discrimination lawsuits in U.S. history has been on the tips of the tongues of employees and people...
In Shoplifters and Your Merchandise, Part 2, we talked about how employees can help prevent theft. In Part 3, we’re going to discuss what type of merchandise is stolen and how...
In Shoplifters and Your Merchandise, Part 1, we talked about potential shoplifters; what to look for in shoplifting rings and how shoplifters steal merchandise. Today, we’re...
It’s getting near closing time and you notice a customer entering your store. He just doesn’t strike you right. He’s wearing a coat that is too heavy for the weather for one...
Forget the bike shorts and the bad rap that the fabric got from overuse in the 80’s, spandex is a life saver when you’re looking for a job. Not just spandex but similar...
Those of you who have been following my posts on the RetailGigs blog might have figured out that I have a certain respect for Walmart founder Sam Walton. Say what you will...
One problem with being the 800-pound gorilla in any industry is that such size draws as many critics as admirers. So it is with Walmart, whose founder I profiled in a recent...
Do you love to shop? Do you love to shop and spend other people’s money doing it? A Personal Shopper may just be the job for you. A personal shopper helps people select and...
Retail workers looking for new jobs might want to start their search at companies hiring en masse. Here are 4 businesses that have openings for at least 1,000 associates...
Why do we splurge for some things, and decide that others are just too expensive, even when they cost the same? One of my favorite web cartoons, The Oatmeal, has a very...
If you are into do-it-yourself projects, this is the most wonderful time of the year.It's also the most wonderful time of the year for retailers of hardware and building...
Hiring a diverse workforce may seem an exercise in political correctness, but in retail employment especially, it is actually a smart strategy that can grow the bottom...
Is Barbie being a mean girl? Are Bratz just living up to their name? It’s been a mind bending legal battle of epic proportions for the past 7 years since the Bratz Dolls...
5 Money saving tips for shopping online. In the world of retail, getting great merchandise at unbelievable discounts is taken as seriously as some people take an amateur...
No retail chain in modern American history has so profoundly changed the way Americans shop as Walmart has. But on July 2, 1962, it was quite likely that not even founder Sam...
Take care to show you’re a team player when looking for a job in retail. Don’t undermine your opportunities when you’re In The Hot Seat. By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a...
This post is a bit of a revisit to articles I posted previously about saving money (see "How to save money" posted on March 29th) and about ways fast-food companies have tried...
If you noticed that the line at your local McDonald's was longer than usual last Tuesday, it was because there were lots of customers waiting to be served work. In what has to...
What kid hasn’t dreamed of owning a toy company of their very own? For 10-year-old Hannah Altman of West Bloomfield, Michigan, it’s a dream come true. Even better than that,...
Searching for a job in retail is often approached like it’s a walk in the park. It’s just a clothing/music/shoe/jewelry store, right? Why would you need to have a professional...
Have you ever wondered why most zippers have the letters YKK on them? Here's the scoop.When you work in retail, especially in textiles and clothing, there are always brands you...
Along with the arrival of spring - subject to change this year in some parts of the country - comes retailers' sales figures for March 2011. So far, they've been quite...
With so many social media sites, it's important to listen to what your customer's are saying online. Social media is here to stay, and for many companies social networking is...
Food costs are on the rise, but have you noticed how much smaller the bags are?Times are tight, and no one knows that more than the people who are unemployed, or...
With last week's announcement by pop superstar Lady Gaga that she was ending her exclusive deal with Target to distribute her new album "Born This Way," the upscale discounter...
When companies stop innovating, they can find themselves replaced, and running out of customers. Here are some companies who are in this situation and the list may surprise...
Are you the kind of shopper who will buy only Tide detergent, or do you buy whatever is on sale?If you are the former, you are the kind of customer companies covet. If you are...
Like many people who work in retail, I have a caffeine habit. My daily ritual is grabbing a cup from the coffee shop on the corner first thing in the morning. I go there so...
The midrange department store, once the mainstay of the American retail landscape, has been all but done in by discounters, big-box category killers, and the upscaling of...
Best Buy's new Buy Back program isn't such a good deal after all.At the beginning of the year, Best Buy announced that they had lower that expected sales, and their earning...
Dressing with confidence is more than wearing the latest fashion trend, it’s about feeling good about what you’re wearing, looking poised and feeling self-assured in all...
From a single bookstore in Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1971, Borders grew into a bookselling behemoth by pioneering on a large scale* the concept of the superstore - a supermarket of...
Don’t think finding a career in retail means you can’t have a little fun. The American International Toy Fair in New York was a sneak peek into what will be on the shelves this...
I wasn't aware that children still played with toys. Or maybe I'm just jealous because I'm "too big" to play with toys? However, I was a bit tempted to ignore societal norms...
Don't risk your job when you are looking for a new one. Now that the job market is starting to show signs of recovery, many people who have been stuck in jobs they weren't...
If you work in a supermarket, you just well might know what I like. Well, maybe not you specifically -- you the checkout clerk, you the butcher, you the customer service...
Many retailers are finding that they are steadily becoming obsolete, or are already so, according to market standards. One such recent announcement in the retail community made...
Have you ever been out shopping and ran into a pushy salesperson who seemed overeager to win your trust, and it just came across as insincere sucking up? I certainly have, and...
How you display your merchandise is a very large part of making the sale. From working in retail for many years and managing a floral shop, I have a few thoughts on the subject...
We all have the right to take part in time off. Living in Europe has shown me that Americans work a lot. What's worse is that we aren't always compensated well (I mean vacation...
Best Buy retailers announced in December that its stores would soon have a health and fitness focus. They plan to sell fitness clothes, electronics (such as watches and...
The Toys R Us Holiday BadgeEarned For Checking in during the HolidaysFacebook Deals, Groupon, Foursquare – with the sudden popularity of social, location based advertising,...
I've worked many a retail job in my life. I survived and so can you! I know, with the holiday season just behind us you either feel bruised and battered or like a mighty...
Starbucks has always strived to be on the cutting edge of customer service and prides itself on understanding who their target market is and providing services to make it...
Long before the Internet, there was the catalog.Catalog sales improved the lives of millions of rural Americans from the late 19th century to the late 20th century by bringing...
January 30, 1883 James Ritty, a saloon owner from Dayton, Ohio patented the first cash register. In order to cut back on employee theft, he invented the Ritty Model 1 cash...
TAKING THE PULSE OF YOUR BUSINESS! Part 1 By Randy Snyder Although there are different “pulse points” in our bodies, there is only one pulse rate derived which can...
Some images are so iconic, so firmly established, so instantly recognizable, that the companies fortunate enough to possess them no longer need to use their names - people see...
The discount store with the bright yellow sign is tucked away in an old strip mall between the homeless shelter and the mobile home park in my neighborhood. Often times I drove...
It all Begins with the buy! by Randy SnyderThe genesis of the process for a retail venture to succeed is the product that has been bought and offered for consumer consumption!...
Borders bookstore is starting off the year in a bad situation. The New York Times reported that the bookstore chain has told major publishers last week that it needs to delay...
Anyone who has lived through the past year of retailing will probably agree that 2010 saw some significant new trends and enormous changes. Online shopping came of age, as...
The 2010 holiday shopping season is turning out to be most satisfying for retailers, who have posted stronger-than-anticpated sales throughout the period. Along with those...
There was a time -- perhaps your parents or grandparents may recall it -- when grocery shopping in America meant a trip to the A&P.The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company is...
Employee satisfaction matters in every industry, but it is vital in the world of retail. No matter how much money a company spends on marketing, just trying to get people into...
With so many people packing internet-ready devices like smartphones in their pockets these days, stores may just have to change the way they they do business just to keep up....
A precise eye and a keen attention to detail can set you apart on the sales floor and in an interview. If your clothes fit well you will look your best and be more confident as...
Well, it is official. No one living is shopping at Sears, so they are taking steps to reach out to a marginalized population by marketing their products to Zombies. The funny...
This is the season of gifting, and after the gift opening frenzy come the returns. How can you approach the return line with style instead of dread? Complaining, voicing...
The Black Friday returns are in, and it appears shoppers are opening up their wallets again, which could be a harbinger of better times in the retail industry. A number of...
I will confess it here, for all the world to see, I am a shopaholic. I live for retail therapy. But often my need to keep an eye on my finances and my desire to shop clash....
We've all had our run-ins with bad retailers: the ones who make it a hassle to return merchandise, charge outrageous shipping fees, or have unhelpful service people. And we've...
I wrote an article over the summer about something called the "beauty bias" and how it affects the job search process for women. Things like a good resume, good qualifications,...
By now I'm sure you've seen all of the new Christmas commercials. You know the ones I mean, where the man wakes up on Christmas morning only to look out into the driveway and...
The conventional wisdom among supermarket operators is that there's no money to be made by serving inner-city neighborhoods. As a result, stores have closed in lower-income...
With the holiday season approaching, many retailers are preparing themselves for a, hopefully, busy holiday's sales season. This year, many companies are hiring seaonal help in...
We have no idea whether or not this will prove to be a turkey, but in another sign that retailers are hungry - desperate might be more like it - to wring every last dollar out...
Standing all day can be good for burning calories but bad for your knees, hips and back. Check out these work shoes that take comfort to the next level. Specially designed for...
The starting gun was raised, the pistol was fired and they were off. From the day after Halloween until Christmas Eve, the race is on between Target and Wal-Mart to be the low...
Barbie's packin' lead Mattel — once known for Barbie and Hot Wheels and all of my favorite childhood toys — is now, sadly, synonymous with lead-filled choking hazards, to put...
So imagine this- I was standing at the grocery store checkout line, I just ran in to get a few things and, as per usual, I am in a hurry and impatient. My basket has a half...
It was almost two weeks prior to Halloween when my sons pointed out the first signs of the Christmas shopping season trickling into the store displays. Here we were still...
This is some welcoming news for those Americans (like me) who are currently out of the country and can't enjoy things like tax-free weekend or Black Friday. While I don't miss...
Even as innovations like the Internet and "category killers" continue to transform the face of American retailing, and even as competitors pick off its base of customers, the...
At first it might seem as if the town of Dartmouth, Massachusetts has caught a case of the Grinch’s sprit by restricting stores on the day after Thanksgiving, one of the...
Renovo has just put out a series of handcrafted wooden bikes. Two thousand dollar handcrafted wooden bikes, I may add. Renovo, a family-owned business, has a wide variety of...
So, the other day I ran across an upsetting article at The Gloss. The article was written by someone who works in the retail industry, and obviously isn't very happy about her...
Although retailers don't expect to do land-office business this holiday season, as I noted in my previous post on the subject, they are cautiously optimistic, and many large...
In retail employees are always encouraged to make the sale but here are 4 reasons not to pedal your product. You know the customer can’t afford it. I was showing a customer a...
The dismal sales of holiday seasons past have given sales professionals no reason to celebrate. However, the 2010 shopping season looks to be more promising as retail sales...
Ok, I will admit that I am an avid online shopper. I love looking for interesting things that I wouldn't be able to find in my local stores. But, my real addiction is shoes. I...
Gap learned the hard way that sometimes you just don’t mess with a good thing. After quietly launching a new logo, the clothing company was recently ripped to pieces on social...
Scarlett O’Hara did it. Maria Von trap did it. Now you can do it too. While you don’t need to pilfer the dining room drapes, there are plenty of ways to upcycle your old...
By now, I am sure that you have seen the new Gap logo. Whatever caused the company to replace the very familiar blue logo with white lettering, I'll never know. Customers were...
With October upon us, it's beginning to look at least a little like Christmas in retailers' planning departments. According to the National Retail Federation, retailers are...
Gap, known for it's down-to-earth, all-American style clothing and accessories, has just changed it's logo. The logo -- a navy blue square with big block white letters -- that...
I wonder how the American public feels about cheap, generic, drugs. Retailers like CVS and Walgreens have been offering them for years, but now they will have to compete with...
My husband and I have recently been trying to “do our part to protect the environment.” We separate all our trash for recycling, use those energy-saving light bulbs and...
When I think of a dangerous job I think of something in the line of lion taming. While careers like those have an elevated risk factor, there’s danger lurking even in the...
In a retail environment self image can make or break a sales person. Feeling frumpy, grumpy and uncomfortable in one’s attire can be crushing to an otherwise unbeatable...
An unpleasant interchange a friend had recently at her former job made me realize that workplace relationships are just as important as finding your dream job. Imagine you find...
Games as far as the eye can see!Snakes and Lattes, owned and operated by new entrepreneurs Castanie and his girlfriend, Aurelia Peynet, looks -- at first glance -- like any...
Brand names used to be important. I don't mean buying Chanel or Dolce&Gabbana just because they are expensive. I mean the trust in the brand names that our parents and...
"Haulers." A weird word that has nothing to do with heavy labor. It actually stands for a group of young people who get free stuff from retailers just by taping their "steals"...
It takes a lot for any company to undergo a major facelift. It could be that the products aren’t moving, the technology has become out dated, there’s a change in leadership, or...
Consumers want more and more a place to connect as they eat their hamburgers and fries or, in this case, as they drink their coffee? Well, according to some recent consumer...
Walmart announced a few weeks ago that it would introduce “smart tags” on men's clothing on August 1st. Apparently, what these “smart tags” do is send out a radio frequency (on...
Have you ever dreamed of owning your own hugely successful (by my standards) $700 million dollar book store chain? Well now's your chance -- better get rolling those...
My husband applied for a job recently at the same company as a female colleague. This after working only a few months at another company that used and abused him and finally...
In a highly competitive environment, having the lowest prices may help to win a battle; but eventually the war will be lost! The “theory” put forth has always been, that by...
Whether you’ve just landed your first accounting position or you’re a seasoned professional, your attire at work matters. Clothing is part of presenting a polished image, and...
Living in a Fashion Democracy By: Hope Robertson As long as fashion has been a hot commodity, women across the globe have gone to great lengths to look fashionable – some...
NEW YORK (AP) - Worried retailers got a reprieve in July, scoring solid sales gains as searing heat in much of the country sent consumers back into the stores in search of...