eCommerce

Operational changes keep coming at Walmart with another round of senior executive moves – and several retirements – announced late Friday that involve some familiar leaders in new roles focused on supercenters, small format and the rollout of grocery home shopping.

RETAIL NOTES: Kleinfeld Hudson’s Bay, a glamorous bridal shop on the top floor of the Hudson’s Bay’s flagship and headquarters building in Toronto, took the big prize — Store of the Year — in the Association for Retail Environments 2015 Design Awards. The annual awards recognize the best in retail design, store fixtures and visual presentation. Designed in house by HBC Store Planning, the 14,000-sq.-ft.

Brick-and-mortar stores are in transition from being viewed as a relic of the 20th century to being understood as the linchpin of 21st century omnichannel retailing.

A look at brands and categories that are growing

I read CSA editor-in-chief Marianne Wilson’s recent “From the Editor’s Desk” column (page 8, March 2015 issue, Chain Store Age) with great interest. Her piece — “The store is back (even though it never left)” — touched on the topic of brick-and-mortar retail expansion and “the relevance of offline retail in an omnichannel world.”

The article got me thinking in more detail about the retail expansion we are seeing in 2015. What brands are growing?

London - Online retailing pioneer Amazon Inc. has climbed to the top of the retail social media ranks, thanks in part to the introduction of #AmazonBasket. According to the latest Retail Social Media Benchmark results from eDigitalResearch, since the introduction of the new social media shopping functionality, Amazon has added 700,000 new followers to its U.K. Twitter account in the past six months, bumping them up to second overall, just behind leaders Topshop.

Industry insiders are the best trend-watchers. Here’s what the experts are seeing.

“There is more selectivity in the site selection process. There is a trend toward downsizing, and more non-retail tenants are taking interest. There is also a growing divide between A-plus real estate and everything else in the market. Everyone wants the best properties.” — Mark Dufton, CEO of DJM Real Estate, a Gordon Brothers Group company

“Retailers are thinking about a smaller footprint, but in most cases not significantly smaller.

Data drives efficient retail real estate decision-making

Making the right decisions with the right data is obviously something retailers strive to do in all areas of their business. However, when it comes to real estate, “getting it right” is even more critical.

Restaurants and retail have fertile expansion ground in certain markets

While it’s true that technology, brick-and-mortar changes, and evolving consumer behavior are causing foundational shifts in the retail industry, a closer look at different U.S.

When the International Council of Shopping Centers opens the doors of the Las Vegas Convention Center on May 17 to retailers and shopping center attendees from around the globe, it will unveil a lineup of newly built, underway and redeveloped properties ripe for deal-making.

Leasing interest at RECon 2015 is expected to be high, this despite naysayers who have predicted the demise of the shopping mall. Not likely, say those in the know.

Downtown LA’s South Park will emerge as a new retail district

It’s rare enough for any developer — or group of developers and brokers — to plan an entirely new retail district almost literally from the ground up. It’s utterly unique to do so in one of the largest cities in the world.

Yet, that’s exactly what’s happening in Downtown Los Angeles’ South Park neighborhood.