News

Kohl’s, Macy’s and Footlocker join Shoptalk lineup
Shoptalk is out to break the mold of what constitutes a retail industry event and the clearest indication of that philosophy is a digital brochure that showcases an expanding roster of speakers and the image of a monkey sitting on a toilet. Seriously.
Chain to increase employee wages — without cutting hours
Sheetz, the family-owned and operated convenience store chain, announced it will invest more than $15 million to raise the wages of store employees across the company. And it is doing so without cutting back on hours for full-time employees.

Drive sales by cracking SMS code

Almost every major brand has experimented with SMS marketing services. Some programs have been wildly fruitful while others were abandoned after only a few months. Having seen both small and large retailers implement successful mobile marketing programs, there is little doubt that SMS can drive customer engagement and increase revenue.
Not a fun-filled holiday for Build-a-Bear Workshop

Build-A-Bear Workshop is still expecting a third consecutive year of positive same store sales despite a decline in traffic over the holiday period.

On a preliminary basis, for the fourth quarter ended Jan. 3, the company said it now expects:
Holiday scorecard Part II: More winners and losers revealed

Another batch of retailers released holiday results this week and provided further evidence that an unusual blend of economic factors and evolving shopping behaviors made for a strange holiday season.
Warm weather impedes sales at Burlington Stores

Burlington Stores says a big decline in cold weather apparel led same-store sales to be mostly flat over the holiday season.

Tom Kingsbury, president and CEO at Burlington Stores, said: “While we are pleased with the strong response to our gift assortments especially in fragrances, bath and body and home, these increases have been offset by headwinds affecting our cold weather assortments, especially in coats and outerwear. Accordingly, we now expect comparable store sales to be approximately flat for the fourth quarter.”
Brooks Bros. buttons up demand chain

Vertical specialty apparel retailer Brooks Brothers is known for neat and tidy fashions, and that ethos extends to how it manages the flow of goods from source to shelf.

Brooks Brothers has selected the SAP Fashion Management platform to gain better control of movement of merchandise through the supply chain, which in turn supports an omnichannel customer experience. The retailer began the process of revamping its demand chain by implementing the SAP Apparel and Footwear application, which provides better insight into inventory and financials.
Not a fun-filled holiday for Build-a-Bear

Build-A-Bear Workshop is still expecting a third consecutive year of positive same store sales despite a decline in traffic over the holiday period.

On a preliminary basis, for the fourth quarter ended Jan. 3, the company said it now expects:
Aldi eliminates impulse temptation from some checklanes

Healthy checklanes free of bad-for-you impulse items are coming to nearly all Aldi stores by year end, and that’s just the beginning of the retailer’s stepped up commitment to offering healthier options at its expanding network of 1,500 stores.

Aldi isn’t shooting itself in the foot and getting rid of all impulse items from its checklanes, but rather re-merchandising select checkout lanes to feature healthier options such as single serving of nuts, trail mixes, dried fruits and granola bars.
Study: Do you understand your in-store customers?

Retailers frequently misjudge the omnichannel needs of their shoppers when they visit stores.

According to a new study of 500 consumers and 150 retail decision-makers in the U.S. and U.K. by Forrester Consulting on behalf of RetailNext, “Real-Time Data Drives the Future of Retail,” only 49% of consumer respondents feel they receive consistent seamless experiences across all channels.