Events

As always, it seems to have blurred by before it even started, but NRF 2016 is over. As the retail industry collectively unpacks it bags, sorts through business cards and decompresses, I’d like to offer a few key trends I observed during my own three days of Big Show immersion.

Pottery Barn Kids is looking to attract more new parents by unveiling its first nursery collection.

The new collection is designed in collaboration with celebrated celebrity stylists and fashion design team Emily Current and Meritt Elliott. The collection includes the XO Nursery that features a glamorous black and white color palette, graphic prints and patterns and bold accents. The Star Nursery features dreamy pink and neutral colors with layers of soft denim and gold accents. 

As always, it seems to have blurred by before it even started, but NRF 2016 is over. As the retail industry collectively unpacks it bags, sorts through business cards and decompresses, I’d like to offer a few key trends I observed during my own three days of Big Show immersion.

Back to Basics

Sam's Club is teaming up with a national nonprofit dedicated to mentoring small business owners to launch the 2016 American Small Business Championship.

The SCORE competition is open to small business owners and entrepreneurs from coast to coast with one winner receiving a $25,000 grand prize.

Story, the 2,000-sq.-ft. Manhattan store that changes its theme, interior design and product mix every four to eight weeks, is teaming up with health services provide Cigna for its next iteration.

The retailer will unveil its “Feel Good” concept on Tuesday, Jan. 19. The installation will be open through Feb. 28, and customers will be able to participate in a variety of classes and panel discussions focusing on health and wellness, in addition to shopping for the latest trends in healthy living.

Dillard’s Inc. is giving more than $850,000 to local Chapters of Ronald McDonald House Charities after selling its exclusive Southern Living Christmas Cookbook.

For the eighth time, Dillard’s offered a special custom edition of the Southern Living Christmas Cookbook to benefit RMHC. This exclusive, 288-page hardbound cookbook is filled with fabulous holiday recipes, color photos, menus, decorating tips and entertaining ideas.

The good works of the NRF Foundation will continue another year under the leadership of HSNi CEO Mindy Grossman and be complemented by the insights of four newly elected board members.

Ahead of the National Retail Federation’s annual convention in New York, the trade group’s non-profit arm said HSNi CEO Mindy Grossman would serve for another year as board chair and named four other retail industry executives to two-year board terms.

Ten years after first entering the market, Toys "R" Us has opened its 100th store in China. The retailer has opened a total of 27 new locations across China within the past year.

National Retail Federation president and CEO Matt Shay shared a message of inspiration and transformation to mark the beginning of the trade group’s annual Big Show, which again drew a record number of attendees to New York.

The National Retail Federation confirmed what many retailers already knew and made a downward revision to a holiday forecast that initially called for 3.7% growth.
 
Citing what it called “unforeseen events,” the National Retail Federation (NRF) said sales during November and December increased 3% to $626 billion, down from an earlier forecast which envisioned growth of 3.7%.