Store Systems

For all their talk about the customer, most retailers have yet to evolve to a business model that is truly customer-centric.

That’s the conclusion of a new industry study by strategic consulting firm The O Alliance that was created in partnership with Revmetri.

Boot Barn reported double-digit profit and revenue growth in the third quarter helped by its recent acquisition of Sheplers.

At Home has added four more locations to its growing store portfolio.

The big-box home décor retailer announced it has entered the state of Minnesota, opening a 107,000-sq.-ft. store in Burnsville. (The company plans to open a second store in the state, in Blaine, this June.)

Fabletics, the fashion athletic brand co-founded by actress Kate Hudson, is setting up shop in the nation’s largest shopping mall.

The retailer is set to open at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, this spring. The 2,000-sq.-ft. store will feature the brand’s signature fashion-forward activewear for women and also its new line of men’s high performance athletic gear and lifestyle basics.

Fabletics was launched online in 2013. It made the leap to brick-and-mortar in fall 2015, and currently operates six stores.

Positive trends with its online business were not enough to help Kohl’s offset in-store weakness and intense competition, which pressured profits and caused a significant downward revision in guidance.

Kohl’s said its fourth quarter same-store sales increased 0.4% while the digital business grew 30%. Full year same store sales increase 0.7%.

Longtime Amazon executive Steve Kessel, whose team launched the first Kindle e-reader, is leading a retail store initiative at Amazon, ReCode.net reported. The report references two sources familiar with the plans, and states: “It’s not yet clear what those stores will sell or how they will be formatted, but the retail team’s mission is to reimagine what shopping in a physical store would be like if you merged the best of physical retail with the best of Amazon.

Consumer demand for more control over their shopping environment is driving growth in one particular technology category.

According to a new study from market research firm Technavio, “Global Self-service Kiosk Market 2016-2020,” the market size of the global self-service kiosk market is predicted to reach close to $18 billion in revenue by 2020. This represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5% between 2016, when the market is expected to be roughly $14 billion, and 2020.

Los Angeles -- Westfield invested $78.3 million into LAX terminal 2 in Los Angeles, transforming nearly 76,000 sq. ft., including more than 15,000 sq. ft. of new dining and retail at Los Angeles International Airport. According to Westfield, the upgrade brings together a vibrant design, local restaurants and signature retail, creating a more holistic customer journey.