Sales & Marketing

Solid. That’s how many industry analysts described retail sales in May.   Driven partly by rising gasoline prices, sales increased 0.5% in May, the Commerce Department said Tuesday, above the 0.3% gain economists expected. Excluding automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants, retail sales rose 0.2% unadjusted over April, according to the National Retail Federation.   

Summer is an interesting time in the world of retail. With lazy vacation-stilted months in June and July and the comparatively bustling back-to-school energy of August, it is a season of contradictions. While, yes, the unique challenges and opportunities of summer sales patterns and scheduling are different than any other time of the year, understanding what is likely on tap for retailers this summer requires an appreciation for certain universal factors that play a role no matter what the calendar says.  

Store design plays a crucial role in attracting customers and driving foodservice sales in convenience stores.    That’s according to the new study, Food-Forward C-store Design, which comes as more convenience retailers are pursuing foodservice as a growth opportunity.     

Arc’teryx Equipment, a Vancouver,Canada-based specialty retailer of high-performance outerwear and goods, is all about helping customers achieve their maximum potential.   The retailer has decided to take that same performance-driven ethos and apply it internally with help from visual analytics technology provider Qlik. Arc’teryx is using the Qlik visual analytics platform to transform its operational efficiencies and expand its global footprint.   

Despite all the hype surrounding mobile commerce, good old-fashioned desktops and laptops are still in style when it comes to making digital purchases.   According to the 2016 Digital Commerce Survey of more than 1,000 adult U.S. consumers from digital commerce strategy firm Sumo Heavy, 72% of respondents prefer using a laptop or desktop PC to shop online. Only 28% prefer using tablets or smartphones. Furthermore, 42% of respondents have never used a tablet to shop online, while 32% have never used a smartphone.  

PGA Tour Superstore opened its 26th store to date — and first store in Minnesota — on June 11.   Located in Minnetonka, in a previous Sports Authority location, the 41,000-sq.-ft. store has 12 interactive simulators, practice hitting bays, a large putting green measuring more than 1,500 sq. ft. and an in-house club-making and repair facility to provide an interactive experience to golf enthusiasts of all levels.  

Consumers will have a new, convenient way of making online purchases this fall.   In conjunction with the release of the new iOS10 operating system, Apple late on Monday announced that an online version of its Apple Pay digital payment service will be available to Mac device users in fall 2016. Up until this point, consumers could only complete Internet transactions using Apple Pay through a mobile app.  

Wal-Mart Stores is undertaking a series of executive changes at its international divisions, starting with a new head for its struggling United Kingdom business, Asda.
 
Andy Clarke, president and CEO of Asda, will step down on July 11, after having worked at the British company for more than 20 years. Asda has been under heavy competitive pressure and has reported seven straight quarterly sales declines.