Displays & Signs

Beauty and skin-care figure prominently in Kohl’s multi-year turnaround plan.   The retailer recently finished adding beauty departments to all its stores, the Dallas Morning News reported, and even managed to do it couple years ahead of schedule.  

High-quality, graphically interesting store barricades can turn an unsightly construction or remodeling site into a brand-enhancing billboard for a retailer. Chain Store Age spoke with Bob Putnam, the president and founder of Boston Barricade Company, about the evolving nature of retail construction barricades.
    
How have retail construction barricades changed over the years?

Thirty years ago, 98% of all retail barricades were constructed using metal framing and drywall. But today, that number is down to 35%.

Retail consultants McMillan Doolittle offered the following commentary regarding Sears’ plans to upgrade its apparel offerings with in-store shops dedicated to global brands new to the U.S. market.   

Modell’s Sporting Goods will open two stores in the New York metro area on August 25, bringing its total store count to 156 locations.     The openings include Modell’s 11th location in Brooklyn, and a store in in Mount Kisco.    Both locations will feature a wide selection of top brands such as Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, Reebok, Spalding and more.

Consumers expect to spend the same or less on holiday gifts this year.   That’s according to Berkeley Research Group, whose 2016 Holiday Retail Outlook report also identified five major challenges facing retailers as they head into the holiday season.  

Sears is piloting a concept that could breathe new life into its apparel offerings.    

Nordstrom is extending its hip in-store boutique, Space, to more locations.   The department store retailer is expanding the concept to four additional stores (including sites in Los Angeles, Nashville, and Toronto), which will double the number of locations since it was launched one year ago.  

Best Buy has opened a pop-up dedicated to smart technology products for the home in the rotunda of the nation’s largest mall.