Seasonal

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.  

PetSmart is reaching out to help pets stranded by the Louisiana floods   The chain and its charitable nonprofit arm, PetSmart Charities, are coming to the aid of hundreds of animals left homeless by the Louisiana floods, which is being called the worst natural disaster to hit the United States since Hurricane Sandy.  

Customer experience remains at the hub of all retail strategies, including technical strategy. Whether it’s global inventory availability, mobile payment or loyalty apps, e-commerce and call center integration, or ubiquitous points-of-sale, infrastructure that uses all assets while integrating suppliers and consumers continues to define a retailer’s network design. Further, in highly competitive retail segments, managing the costs of digital fluidity is not only vital to capturing profitable share; it can also distinguish competitive advantage. 

Although it’s only August and the pendulum has plenty of time to swing in the other direction, retailers are feeling optimistic about the upcoming holiday season.   That’s according to a report by Fung Global Retail & Technology and First Insight, in which more than 60% of those surveyed said they believe that holiday sales will increase compared to last year, and about 25% expect sales to increase 5% to 10%.     

Story, the innovative retail store in Manhattan that totally reinvents itself every few months, has gone nostalgic with its latest revamp.   Story’s new installation, “Remember When,” offers an immersive retro experience that celebrates Nickelodeon’s memorable characters and iconic shows — “Rugrats” and “Sponge Bob” to name just two — from the ‘90s, just in time for the 25th anniversary of Nickelodeon.  

Meijer is kicking off the fall campaign of its signature hunger relief program, Simply Give, across its six-state footprint in an effort to help local food pantry partners restock their shelves.

Temperatures for the U.S. will trend the warmest in at least five years.    August begins with an active pattern along the East Coast with showers and thunderstorms. Heat will be building across the Central U.S. with a heat wave likely developing in the first week of August. The heat spreads to the East Coast later in the week. Another heat wave during the second retail week of the month will keep it feeling firmly like summer.   

Online retail giant Amazon is not looking for a repeat of holiday 2015, when increased fulfillment costs due to a surge in orders took a bite out of its holiday quarter earnings.   The company is adding 18 warehouse facilities this quarter in preparation for the holiday surge, according to a report by Recode. Last year, it added six.  

With home prices on the rise, consumers are once again investing in remodeling and repair projects.