Store Systems

Pottery Barn is bringing its new store concept to the city where it all began.    The retailer, a division of Williams-Sonoma, will unveil a 17,000-sq.-ft. flagship on September 8, 2017, in Manhattan's Flatiron District. (The first Pottery Barn store opened in 1949 in the West Chelsea section of lower Manhattan.)   

Westfield’s billion-dollar renovation of its Century City Mall in Los Angeles will include a swanky Uber Lounge when it is completed this fall.   Westfield has formed a partnership with Uber to facilitate use of shared rides at its centers nationwide. The mall owner will create drop-off and pick-up stations at every one of its U.S. properties, whose locations will be digitally mapped into the Uber app. The idea: make pick-ups and drop-offs easier and build mall traffic.  

Costco Wholesale Corp. turned in a strong performance in August, helped by a big increase in online sales.    Net sales rose 10% to $9.8 billion for the month of August, from $8.9 billion during the similar period last year. Total same-store sales rose 7.3%, higher than the 6.1% Wall Street expected. Same-store U.S. sales rose 7.4%, easily topping estimates for a 4.9% to 5.3% increase. Costco's comparable e-commerce sales jumped 26% in August.   

Whether we’re receiving coupons based on our spending, or product suggestions based on other people’s spending, artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how consumers shop and experience brands. For retailers, meanwhile, AI could increase profits by almost 60%¹. It could be a game-changer in this labor-intensive sector, augmenting the workforce and enabling employees to become more productive.  

The British brand best known for its bagless vacuum cleaners, bladeless fans and, most recently, high-tech hair-dryers is expanding its fledgling retail portfolio.    Dyson Ltd. will open a "Dyson Demo" store this fall at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto. Also in the works: a store at 640 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, and one in San Francisco's Union Square.  

The spinner craze helped propel Five Below in its second quarter, as the teen and tween value-retailer turned in an exceptionally strong performance that topped expectations.   Revenue rose 28.7% to $283.3 million in the quarter ended July 29, topping analysts' estimates of $276.6 million. Same-store sales jumped 9.3%, the highest since the chain's IPO in June 2012.  

In a move to attract more specialized information technology specialists, Uniqlo is renovating its digital DNA.  

Roots has debuted a new experiential format that brings the iconic Canadian sportswear brand's heritage to life.   Roots' founders, Michael Budman and Don Green, are passionate about the outdoors, camping and Canada, and all three are reflected in the brand's new 5,100-sq.-ft. store, at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto.  The design of the space alludes to an open, modern cabin that showcases Roots' heritage and culture.