News Briefs

Female shoppers are spending less than their male counterparts.

During the first half of 2025, year-over-year demand for discretionary products among women fell flat, while unit sales from men were up 3%, according to Circana. Female discretionary spending grew 1% during the same period, while male spending rose 2%.  

The firm noted that discretionary spending has been challenged by elevated prices across retail food and beverage, non-edible consumer packaged goods and general merchandise

“Female consumers are critical to retail performance, representing more than half of annual spending, and those purchase decisions,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail industry analyst for Circana. “Shifts in spending behavior among female consumers reveal signs of broader consumer changes brewing.”

[READ MORE: NRF: Retail sales make strong comeback in July]

Women seem to be opting for purchases that allow them to spruce things up, rather than a bigger ticket spend. Between January and June 2025, the majority of the pullback in spending among female shoppers impacted furniture, apparel, juvenile products and housewares. 

Home décor and team sports products gained the most ground among this demographic. Women also spent less in specialty apparel, department stores and mass merchants at the start of this year, shifting more to e-commerce and warehouse clubs.

A number of demographic spending shifts are happening across retail, making it more important than ever for brands to understand the mindset of each consumer group, and work to reach them in a more personalized way, advised Cohen. 

“Female-focused products are inspiring spending with front-and-center marketing that taps into lifestyle and fashion, and fuels momentum and gains,” he said. “As goes the female shopper, so goes retail — the mantra that will help retail navigate one of the biggest changes in consumer behavior occurring right now.”

Basset Furniture is leveraging its customer delivery experience by turning  “proof of delivery photos” into a sales and engagement tool.

By implementing DispatchTrack's delivery management platform, Bassett's design consultants use delivery photos to identify follow-on opportunities with recent customers and generate new sales. In what it termed an industry first, the consultants review post-delivery photos captured by drivers, do virtual room assessments and suggest complementary products to customers. 

Consultants recommend items such as area rugs, accent pieces, or new furniture for adjoining rooms based on actual delivered installations, creating personalized follow-up opportunities.

"Because everyone at Bassett has access to DispatchTrack, we've turned delivery into a relationship-building moment," said Lucy Coleman, director of operations at Bassett Furniture. "From designers to customer service, our whole team is part of the experience — and that's changed everything."

[READ MORE: Furniture.com delivers seamless shopping across multiple brands]

The approach is powered by DispatchTrack's integration with Storis:  Orders created through Storis automatically sync with DispatchTrack, where communication workflows manage time window confirmations and delivery updates. This   ensures consistent customer communication and  also creates the foundation for Bassett's innovative merchandising.

Unlike traditional delivery platforms that restrict access to specific roles, DispatchTrack enables Bassett's entire team — from drivers to design consultants — to interact with delivery data. This has transformed customer service from a reactive, siloed function into a revenue-driving extension of delivery.

By analyzing existing décor captured in delivery photos, design consultants make informed recommendations that enhance customer satisfaction and drive incremental sales. 

Looking ahead, Bassett is exploring text notifications as an additional communications channel while continuing to monitor customer satisfaction through surveys and real-time alerts.   

Founded in 1902, Bassett Furniture operates approximately 100 retail stores nationwide.

Walmart is giving its approximate 1.6 million U.S. employees a new perk.

The country's largest private employer is extending its 10% employee discount to include purchases of nearly all grocery items — in its stores and online. The discount is available effective immediately.

The move extends the 10% discount Walmart already gives to employees (after 90 days on the job) on purchases of fresh produce and most general merchandise, including fashion, but only to other food during the November and December holiday season.

“We’ve heard your feedback that these savings make a real difference for you and your families,” Walmart chief people officer Donna Morris wrote in a memo to employees that the company sent to Chain Store Age. “And we have continued to hear that you would like to see this benefit expanded. In fact, it’s one of our most requested benefits. The expanded discount on food you receive during the holidays will now be available all year round."

The expanded discount now includes all food categories, including dairy, frozen, dry grocery, meat and seafood. With the expansion, the associate discount now covers 95% of regularly priced items across the store, noted Morris.

Walmart also revealed the news about the expanded discount on LinkedIn. 

Loehmann’s is back.

The 104-year-old off-price retailer is making its return to retail with a limited-time warehouse pop-up sale at Tanger Outlets in Deer Park, N.Y. The sale, which will run from Aug. 22 through Sept. 1, is part of a series of warehouse pop-ups hosted by the company’s owner, Century 21 Department Stores. The sales are designed to reintroduce the Loehmann’s brand, whose assets were acquired by Century in 2020. 

The pop-up sale will feature a curated assortment of premium men’s and women’s designer apparel, shoes and
accessories priced up to 70% off original retail prices. The selection includes pieces from top-tier designer houses,
beloved brands and emerging labels. The selection is curated by a New York-based buying team closely connected to the fashion community, according to the company.

The pop-up will also highlight Loehmann’s iconic Back Room section that will spotlight a hand-picked selection of unique, high-value luxury pieces — a feature that echoes a tradition that made Loehmann’s famous.

“Loehmann’s has always been about making fashion accessible for everyone,” said Century 21 chief operating officer Larry Mentzer. “We’re bringing back that thrill — real designers, really discounted — and we can’t wait to meet a
whole new generation of savvy shoppers.”

The pop-up series is the off-pricer’s re-entry to retail since filing for its third bankruptcy in December 2013 and liquidating in 2014. The final filing came on the heels of "increased competition in the off-price retail channel, coupled
with limited access to capital, has severely impacted the company's financial position,” according to the company.

Retail job postings are down both annually and pre-pandemic, but wage growth has remained semi-consistent.

According to new data from hiring site Indeed’s Hiring Lab data wing, job postings across the retail sector have largely continued to decrease with the rest of the labor market. Indeed job postings through July 11, 2025 have decreased 9% in the past year, and are down 5.8% compared to Feb. 1, 2020. Retail job postings were relatively flat through the second quarter of this year, remaining just below their pre-pandemic baseline.

Other sectors have seen postings drop year over year as well. Food preparation & service listings decreased 8.4% in the past year and 1.8% pre-pandemic, while hospitality & tourism saw a 8.1% decrease compared to last July and a 14.4% dip compared to February 2020.

Overall, employers continued to slowly pull back on job postings as the U.S. Indeed Job Posting Index hovered between 8% and 4% above its pre-pandemic baseline. Total job postings are down 8% year over year and remain 4% above the pre-pandemic baseline.

[READ MORE: Study: Job cuts in retail up 249% year over year]

The wage growth trend across the retail sector largely mirrored trends in job postings, with a relatively sluggish second quarter, according to Indeed. Retail and food preparation & service wage growth have remained constant over the past year, resting at 1.9% and 2.7% in July 2025, respectively.