Displays & Signs

A cobbler station and lace customization are key elements of Timberland’s newest store in London.

The new 1,000-sq.-ft. location on Oxford Street, one of London’s busiest shopping streets, will stock footwear and accessories for men, women and kids. The opening gives Timberland, a VF Corp. brand, six locations in London. It is part of a move by Timberland to connect with a wider audience and younger consumers on the brand’s quest to become the largest and most sustainable lifestyle brand on Earth, according to the company.

Gen Z and Millennials are big on physical stores — even more so than their older counterparts.

That’s one of the findings of a new research study by insights firm iModerate in which 74% of all respondents said it is important for brands to have a physical location rather than solely selling online. Interestingly, 80% of Gen Zers and 82% of Millennials respondents said it is important, compared to 69% of Gen Xers and 65% of Boomers.

Walgreens on Monday announced its returns as the exclusive retail partner of the second annual Red Nose Day, helping raise funds to fight kids' poverty. The campaign's iconic Red Noses - which people wear in support of the official Red Nose Day on Thursday, May 26 - returned to store shelves at Walgreens and Duane Reade locations nationwide this morning, officially kick starting the nine-week charitable campaign.

Photo: Aritaum, H-Mart, Ridgefield, New Jersey

Nike’s newest factory store, in Lubbock, Texas, draws inspiration from the area’s local sport culture, with special emphasis on its deep roots in football.

The local imagery in the store includes a declaration to be “Texas Tested,” which responds to the famous suggestion that if you can pass the Texas test, you can pass any test.

It’s been more than 15 years since they started ringing the death knell for brick-and-mortar retail. And although the Internet shopping base continues to grow, the in-store experience is here to stay. Even the doomsayers have quieted during recent years. There are simply too many things about in-store shopping that the online experience can’t offer.

This week I’d like to discuss the re-emergence of skyline signs, but first allow me to offer a quick thank you to the entire Chain Store Age and SPECS Show teams for executing a trade show I won’t soon forget.

Of course, I’m talking about last week’s show at the beautiful Hilton Anatole in Dallas, #SPECS2016.

Ross Dress for Less on March 5 opened two new stores in the Chicago area.

The retailer opened a 27,000-sq.-ft. location in Berwyn, in Cermak Plaza, nine miles west of downtown Chicago at the southeast corner of West Cermak Road and Harlem Avenue.

It also opened an Archer Heights location, a 25,000-sq.-ft. store in the Pulaski Promenade, nine miles southwest of downtown Chicago at the northwest corner of 42nd Place and Pulaski Road.

St. Charles, Mo. -- Cullinan Properties announced that Streets of St. Charles, a mixed-use development located in St. Charles, Missouri, will add Orangetheory Fitness to its tenant line up.

Orangetheory Fitness will occupy 3,000 sq. ft. of space on Beale Street, next to Wasabi Sushi Bar. Construction is anticipated to begin in early April, and the estimated opening date is this fall.

Retailers who sell Calvin Klein brand apparel are watching sales closely to see how the fashion brand is impacted by a new deal with pop star Justin Bieber that changes how brands engage with celebrities to drive sales.

Bieber has embarked on a world tour for the first time in four years to support his new best-selling album "Purpose" – and help sell Calvin Klein products. That’s good news for retailers because Bieber has lots of fans and the Calvin Klein brand will be deeply woven into live performances and integrated into social media efforts.