Sales & Marketing

There is clearly a “generation gap” when it comes to how — and where — different customer segments choose to shop.   This was according to a recent study from Dealspotr, a crowdsourcing platform for savings. The firm launched an online survey among respondents across age groups, including Generation Z (20 and under), Millennial (21 to 35), Generation X (36 to 52), and Baby Boomers (53 and above), and monitored their visits to fashion-related areas across the Dealspotr website.  

A slump in consumer prices helped to keep retail sales in check in March.   Retail sales in March inched up 0.3% over February, according to the National Retail Federation. (The NRF numbers exclude automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants.)   “Various factors were at play in the first quarter, but we are again seeing a pattern similar to previous years — consumer spending was weak but is expected to pick up as we move through the year,” said NRF chief economist Jack Kleinhenz.

The retail industry is ramping up its efforts against House Republicans’ proposed border-tax proposal.      The National Retail Federation has launched the next phase of a television and digital ad campaign against the tax, which is included in the House Republican tax reform plan.   The campaign features three small retailers who tell their own stories and convey their fears that the BAT would put them out of business.   

Nearly 50 years after it opened its first location, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has landed on the West Coast.    The chain, which combines a family-friendly restaurant with an old-fashioned country store, has opened Tualatin, Oregon. The location marks a key expansion of the company’s footprint.  

In “Democracy in America,” political theorist Alexis de Tocqueville wrote, “there is hardly a political question in the United States which does not sooner or later turn into a judicial one.” Nearly 200 years later, this statement rings true — maybe now, more than ever.   

British online fast-fashion retailer Missguided makes the leap to physical retail with a high-concept, high-impact store at Westfield Stratford City mall in London.   Featuring an “on-air” television studio concept, the 20,000-sq.-ft. space delivers a dynamic live stream of real-time content, fashion and inspiration in a bold environment. It reflects the desire of its young, Snapchat-obsessed core audience for the new by offering a constantly changing space that includes plenty of shareable moments.    

A new survey confirms what many retailers are already living: getting up to speed with digitally speaking is a priority.   The most in-demand new technology for retailers is mobile payment capabilities (65%), followed by self-checkout (49%), scan as you shop (44%), click and collect (41%) and in-store customer analytics (37%), according to research from Zynstra, a U.K.-based enterprise-grade IT software provider, which polled 300 IT managers and c-level professionals in the retail space across the U.S. and U.K.  

Petco continues to grow its retail presence.    The specialty retailer of pet food, supplies and services, will open five new stores in April.    In addition to featuring a wide range of pet food, toys and accessories, each new store will include dog training areas, adoption centers and grooming salons.    Last year, Petco opened 71 new stores and one new Unleashed by Petco store, and remodeled 41 locations.