JCPenney Co.

[Editor's note: This article is based on a discussion moderated by Shah Karim with Myron E. Ullman, executive chairman of J.C. Penney, held at the Executive + Scholar lecture at the University of North Texas on October 8, 2015.]

For many years, Black Friday sales promotions have defined the retail environment during the long Thanksgiving weekend. Despite evidence that Black Friday has lost some of its luster, it remains a very large shopping event and is actively contested by major retailers.

Indeed, according to the NRF, close to 102 million consumers shopped in brick-and-mortar stores over the Black Friday holiday weekend.

Retailers and academics are coming together to help drive continuing innovation in digital retailing.

“Our main mission is the advancement of digital retail through collaboration among academic and retail partners,” said Richard Last, senior director of the Global Digital Retail Research Center at the University of North Texas, during an interview with Chain Store Age.

Judging by its recent executive appointments, online beauty subscription retailer Birchbox is getting more and more serious about expanding in the physical space.

The company has named Benjamin Fay as VP of retail development and customer experience, with responsibility for translating the Birchbox brand experience into store design and overseeing execution of the retailer’ s off-line growth.

When it comes to return policies, Nordstrom and Forever 21 couldn’t be further apart.

At least that’s according to an annual survey of return policies by GOBankingRates.com. The study rated Nordstrom as offering the best return policies of 2015, with Forever 21 offering the worst.

“Return policies should be a big consideration for holiday shoppers — two-thirds of people return at least one holiday gift,” said Elyssa Kirkham, lead reporter on the GOBankingRates study.

When it comes to return policies, Nordstrom and Forever 21 couldn’t be further apart.

More Stride Rite shoe stores are closing as parent company Wolverine World Wide increases its focus on direct sales and improving the performance of lifestyle brands.

Outlet malls are often associated with not only appealing deals on name-brand products, but also with driving long distances to get to the far-flung locations where outlets have traditionally been located.

But that is all changing — and changing fast.