News

A wholesale club giant beats out specialty retailers to rank as the nation's favorite home furnishings retailer.    Costco Wholesale Corp. is ranks first among consumers when it comes to home furnishings, according to a study by Market Force Information. With a composite loyalty score of 72%, Costco earned the top spot. But Ikea was a close second, with a score of 70%.    

The beginning of summer didn't give a boost to consumer spending as retail sales fell for the second straight month.   Retail sales unexpectedly slipped 0.1% in June after being unchanged in May. Sales were up 3.2% unadjusted from June 2016, according to the National Retail Federation, and 3.9% on a three-month moving average year-over-year. (The numbers exclude automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants.)   

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Design Store continues to expand its footprint with the opening of a store in Kyoto, Japan.   The 1,076-sq.-ft. space offers an edited version of MoMA’s signature selection of tabletop, workspace and personal accessories, lighting and tech products, art reproductions and stationery. It also features items designed and produced in Japan.  

Walmart’s e-commerce arm is making it easier for New Yorkers — especially those without a doorman — to get their deliveries.   Jet.com is teaming up with Latch, a provider of smart building access technologies, to integrate a reader-style electronic access product in 1,000 buildings in New York City. The installation, which is being paid for by the partners, will give more than 100,000 residents the ability to retrieve orders electronically, according to TechCrunch.  

Visa Inc. is doing its best to usher in the cashless future.    The credit card giant has announced a new initiative, called the Visa Cashless Challenge, which will incentivize small merchants to move away from cash payments. Using an application-based format, Visa will award approximately $10,000 each to 50 eligible U.S.-based small business food service owners, including food truck owners.  

Adidas has upped its game with a store that celebrates the heritage and vibe of its Venice Beach, California, locale.     The company has opened a 5,900-sq.-ft. store on Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice Beach, dedicated to its Originals brand. The store combines such classic lines as Stan Smith with new ones such as NMD. The space will also house immersive events and installations on a regular basis in order to encourage localized experiences, create community among streetwear lovers and connect with local culture enthusiasts.

A luxury department store retailer has lost its first-ever cyber security chief.   Sarah Hendrickson has left her post as Neiman Marcus’ chief security information officer, reported D Margazine. She joined the company in November 2014, the first executive to hold the position. Neiman Marcus introduced the role following its high profile data breach in 2013.  

Tiffany & Co. has found its next chief executive.   The jeweler has named Alessandro Bogliolo as CEO, effective October 2, 2017. Tiffany has been looking for a CEO since February, when Frederic Cumenal abruptly left the company in a shakeup amid disappointing financial results.    Bogliolo, 52, has been CEO of Diesel SpA, a global apparel and accessories company, since 2013. At Diesel, he led the company’s efforts to revitalize its brand and enhance the customer experience. 

As Cole Haan expands its breadth, the retail experience must remain consistent — regardless of the touchpoint shoppers use.    In partnership with Aptos, the specialty retailer now has a platform that delivers a seamless customer experience throughout the entire shopping journey. Regardless of whether shoppers visit one of the company’s 259 stores across 30 countries, or shop online, now they will get a unified experience.  

The queue-free checkout is dominating retail headlines these days. Amazon's recent deal with Whole Foods Market, when combined with the online giant's visionary Amazon Go concept, has everyone imagining a new and improved process across the organic chain’s hundreds of stores.