Research Topic

Twenty retail executives traveled to the nation's capitol on Wednesday to voice their opposition to the proposed border adjustment tax (BAT).   

PREIT’s mall-pruning program picked up during the retail real estate industry’s big RECon show.   As the show floor opened in Las Vegas, the Philadelphia-based company announced it had put up for sale Logan Valley Mall in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and Valley View Mall in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. PREIT reported it had received unsolicited interest in these properties and was willing to dispose of them to increase its cash position.  

Despite increasing loyalty program membership enrollments, retailers continue to miss opportunities to satisfy shoppers.   Brands continue to invest more in loyalty programs, and enrollment has grown by 31% over the last four years. However, retailers are overlooking opportunities that will drive business results, according to “The Loyalty Report 2017.”  

Despite social media’s growing presence in many consumers’ lives, it is not the ideal platform for brand interaction.   That's according to the “2017 Generational Marketing Insights Survey,” from Campaigner, the email marketing brand of j2 Global. According to findings, less than a quarter (24%) of online shoppers use social media as one of their preferred channels for brand interaction. And it seems that not all social media channels are created equal.  

Retailers who want a prime location but also one that’s affordable should check out Philadelphia, Chicago and Seattle.  

Phillips Edison & Company is the fastest-growing company in retail real estate, and it wanted to applaud that fact by giving retailers the fastest route to Chain Store Age’s Annual Real Estate Report. Dig in to learn about the leading developers, the best third-party managers, and the future innovators in the business.

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Automation may be mission-critical to operational longevity in the retail industry, but it could be creating a significant pool of “stranded workers.”   Six million to 7.5 million retail jobs likely will be automated out of existence in the coming years, leaving a large portion of the retail workforce at risk of becoming “stranded workers.” Retail cashiers are at highest risk for automation technologies, and women hold 73% of these positions.  

The National Retail Federation continues to lead the charge against the consumption tax and the proposed border adjustment tax.   The NRF on Thursday today urged Congress to focus on updating the existing federal income tax system rather than moving toward a consumption tax. Under either approach, Congress should reject a proposed $1 trillion border adjustment tax that would drive up prices for consumers and cost the economy jobs, NRF said.