Research Topic

Gap among those unfazed by Macy’s coming store closures
Top suppliers don’t seem very worried about Macy’s looming store closings. And neither does the CEO of Gap Inc., according to a report by CNBC.com. Gap chief executive Art Peck told attendees at Goldman Sachs' Annual Global Retailing Conference that he sees the Macy's store closures as an opportunity to grab market share, the report said.
Office Depot rewards ‘mobile abstinence’ among college students
Taking a lesson from B.F. Skinner, Office Depot is taking steps to reward college students for refraining from using their phones at the most critical time of the day — during class. College students are so obsessed, and thus distracted, by their phones that 33% said they checked their device a minimum of 10 times a day, according to a study conducted by the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Report: Millennials find a new use for retail-specific gift cards

A majority of millennials are purchasing gift cards, but not for the obvious reasons. According to a new report from analyst firm Mercator Advisory Group, nearly three-in-five young adults said they bought refillable retailer-specific gift cards during the previous year, up from less than half of shoppers who reported making these purchases in the 2015 study. The biggest jump was among 18- to 24-year-olds, which climbed from 44% to 53%; followed by those aged 25 to 34, which increased from 48% to 57%.
State of the Industry Report 2016

This special report by WD Partners focuses on the new wave of shoppers that is poised to deliver more disruption to the retail industry—and how retailers can embrace that disruption to innovate and thrive in the evolving marketplace.

To download the report, click here.
Tech Guest Viewpoint: E-commerce Content: Emerging Trends
Sales rise at Dollarama, beating expectations

While some specialty chains struggle to meet earnings predictions, Dollarama reported better-than-expected second quarter results. The Montreal-based discount chain’s net income was $106.4 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2017, ended July 31, 2016 — up 11.4% from $95.5 million for the same period last year.
As if Chipotle didn’t have enough to worry about…

Quick-serve restaurant chain Chipotle has been hit with a lawsuit in which current and former Chipotle employees claim that the company made them work extra hours "off the clock" without paying them, CNN Money reported.
Report: Retail rents rising and vacancy rates falling in 2016

Though it forecasts a stronger-than-anticipated closure season, Cushman & Wakefield sees average retail rents ending the year 4.6% higher than they were in 2016. The company’s U.S. Macro Forecast released this week said that consistent demand for space in Class A retail centers is the biggest factor in rental-rate growth. Cushman analysts also predict that 2016 will see a drop in the retail vacancy rate to 5.8% from 6.6% last year — though they see it moving back up to 6% in 2017.
Coupon usage — print and digital — rises

Consumers aren’t ready to let go of print coupons. A majority (58%) of respondents reported using more print coupons over the past year, according to the 2016 Purse String Survey by Valassis. Thirty-eight of respondents said the same about mobile coupons and 32% are using online coupons or coupon codes more often.
Report: Email campaign opening rates are highest on…

Staying true to the adage, “timing is everything,” retailers must be mindful that the best days for email-driven engagement don’t necessarily translate into same-day conversions, according to a new report from Yes Lifecycle Marketing.
Big Lots profit tops Street; raises forecast

Big Lots Inc. isn’t letting soft sales in the second quarter damper its outlook. Instead, the retailer raised its profit forecast for the year. The discounter on Friday reported fiscal second-quarter net income of $22.7 million, which surpassed analysts’ expectations, from $17.64 million in the year-ago period. Revenue totaled $1.2 billion in the period, which missed Street forecasts. Same-store sales inched up 0.3%.
Kantar Retail makes holiday sales prediction

Retailers can expect a slight rise in holiday sales this year compared to last — fueled largely by the online channel. That’s according to Kantar Retail, which released the industry’s first 2016 holiday sales forecast. It projects growth of 3.8% for the fourth quarter, a slight increase over the 3.4% growth in the year-ago period.