Store Systems

Online outdoor clothing and gear retailer Moosejaw’s new store in Boston is designed to bring the quirky brand’s “Love the Madness” philosophy to life.    

Unlike the company’s previous stores, which involved taking over existing retail locations from other retailers, the new space was created specifically to evoke Moosejaw’s irreverent style and establish a brick-and-mortar presence that truly reflects the brand.

RFID has occupied a curious position in the retail IT landscape for the past decade. Most observers acknowledge that RFID holds great potential to offer expanded supply chain visibility and collaboration from source to shelf, but aside from a few high-profile programs run by retail heavyweights like Wal-Mart and Target, RFID’s potential still remains untapped after all these years. That may finally be changing.

New York -- Walmart is expanding its omni-channel integration by testing the use of lockers to fill online orders, company officials said during the chain’s second-quarter earnings call on Thursday.

“While this test is still in the early stages, the initial read on customer satisfaction and acceptance is very encouraging, with 90% of the customers who have used the service providing positive feedback,” Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon said during the call.

Dallas -- Tuesday Morning Corp. is ceasing e-commerce operations to focus on providing in-store assortments. A statement on the retailer’s website says that due to the nature of its closeout business, it will no longer sell items online but instead focus on the quality and price of assortments in its stores.

LOS ANGELES — Sporting goods retailer Sport Chalet swung to a loss in the first quarter, as it continues turnaround efforts that include a new store concept, closing under-performing stores and reducing staff. 

The company generated a loss of $2.8 million for the quarter, compared with a profit of $100,000 in the year-ago period. Sales dipped 2.8% to $81.5 million from $83.8 million, and same-store sales dropped 0.7%.

New York -- Sporting goods retailer Sportsman’s Wearhouse is deploying a new tool from Honeywell’s Honeywell Scanning and Mobility group in time for the holiday shopping season. The chain will equip workers in its 46 stores with Honeywell’s new Captuvo SL22 for iPod Touch mobile digital devices.

While the dust continues to settle from Walmart’s disappointing showing in the second quarter, it is worth noting positive developments and intriguing initiatives in key areas that got lost in the shuffle.

What a difference 30, 20 or even 10 years make when it comes to consumer behavior. Thirty years ago, “24x7 shopping” meant mail-order catalogs. Smartphones, tablets and social media were barely part of the discussion 10 years ago. While observers attribute the rapid pace of change to technological advances, biology may play an equally important role. Scientists have observed that the human brain is incredibly plastic, even in adulthood, constantly adapting to trauma and environmental shifts.