Sales & Marketing

The world’s greatest golfers will gather soon in Augusta, Georgia, for the 80th annual Masters golf tournament, an event with has many similarities to the retail industry and one that serves as a source of inspiration as we look to grow the PGA TOUR Superstore.

Around every turn on the picturesque course, golfers are faced with new challenges and opportunities that require them to balance the risks and rewards of their decision-making against their ability to execute shots all while striving to prevail over a field of unmerciful competitors.

Walmart and its financial services partners have added a loyalty component to credit, debit and prepaid card offerings that provide an extra incentive to make online purchase.

If the major suppliers of soft goods such as clothing and accessories to retail stores are a bellwether of the economy, then the coming months are looking to provide a jolt as 75% of these suppliers expect retail sales to significantly outpace the gross domestic product for the spring and summer shopping season.

That’s one of the major findings of a new survey conducted by Capital Business Credit.

Merchants intent on growing sales and operators eager to reduce shrink can both find something to like in a new service offering from global loss prevention leader Tyco Retail Solutions.

Tyco took the concept of software as a service, commonly referred to as SaaS, and applied it to the world of asset protection in a way that offers benefits to merchants and store operations executives looking to reduce shrink.

Production and shipping delays related to its new collection of modern furniture, which it also has launched as a standalone business, are taking a toll on Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc. as the high-end retailer issued a weak outlook for the current quarter.

Restoration Hardware (RH) reported its fourth-quarter earnings slid to $33.3 million, or 79 cents a share, from $42.5 million, or $1.02 a share, a year earlier. On an adjusted basis, the company earned 98 cents a share, which fell short of its own projection released in February.

Extreme-value tween and teen retailer Five Below enters a new market on April 1, with the opening of three stores in Louisiana.

“Entering Louisiana is an important step as we continue to expand our rapidly growing footprint across the country,” said Joel Anderson, CEO of Five Below, which operates 444 stores in 27 states.

The stores in Louisiana are located in the towns of Covington, Lafayette, and Slidell. They are included in the 85 new locations Five Below has planned for 2016. In 2015, the chain opened 71 stores.