News

Perfumania continues slide in Q4; eyes store closures
After a difficult third quarter of fiscal 2016, Perfumania Holdings Inc. continued experiencing problems in the year’s fourth quarter.

The specialty chain is considering closing an unspecified number of underperforming stores after reporting net income of $2.26 million, down 59% from $5.5 million a year earlier. Lower gross profit and operating income helped slash profit.
Starbucks opens store with job training site in Ferguson, Missouri
Starbucks has opened a store in Ferguson, Missouri, a city that was rocked by racial unrest in 2014, as part of its ongoing initiative to open stores in at least 15 lower-income U.S. communities by 2018.

The opening follows the launch of a similar store in the Jamaica section of Queens, New York, in March. Both are part of a national plan to provide local jobs, create training opportunities for youth, and support efforts to rebuild and revitalize communities.

Wall Panels with Maximum Impact

Faux wall panels are a cost-effective option for retailers that want to create an exciting visual environment without breaking the budget — or update an existing space with no downtime. Texture Plus CEO Brian Kampe discussed some of the trends he’s seeing and how retailers can utilize these types of panels.

What are some of the visual trends you are currently seeing in retail stores?

This year we are seeing a great blending of natural materials to bring a contemporary look to traditional designs.
Energy Smarts: Havertys partners with DOE for energy efficiency

Haverty Furniture Company has been around since the late 19th century, but the specialty furniture retailer has a decidedly 21st-century approach to energy management.

“We want Havertys to be the company everyone wants to come work for,” said Rawson Haverty Jr., senior VP real estate and development, Havertys, during a session at Chain Store Age’s SPECS 2016 Conference, March 13-15, in Dallas.

Environmental stewardship, and thus energy conservation, is on the Atlanta-based furniture retailer’s list of 10 core values, Haverty explained.
Session Spotlight: Construction Goes High Tech

Although the construction industry lags other major verticals in IT spending, technology is still having a dramatic impact on the practice.

“We are at the intersection of technology and buildings,” said James M. Benham, CEO of construction technology firm JBKnowledge.
Specialty golf retailer fulfills customer expectations

Golf is a sport that rewards precision, and that extends to meeting customer demand across multiple channels.

That is why Atlanta-based, 25-store PGA Tour Superstore is leveraging the SPS Commerce Fulfillment platform to obtain actionable insights into back-end data that is crucial to support a seamless customer experience. This includes inventory levels, order status, shipment details, and payment and returns.
Session Spotlight: New Areas of Focus in ADA Compliance

ADA lawsuits against retailers are on the rise — and even though many suits may be without merit, a retailer still has to defend/answer the allegations.

That was the message Joan Stein, one of the nation’s leading authorities on ADA, brought to the SPECS session, “ADA Non-Compliance: Can You Afford It?” at SPECS.
Connecting with Millennials

The generation born between the early 1980s and the year 2000 — labeled millennials — has captured the collective attention of retail marketers. And not just because there are more than 80 million of them, although that’s a factor. This group craves access, not necessarily ownership, and they have a real affinity for technology, which is shaping the retail space.
Shopping Centers in the Digital Age

One of my favorite times of the year is teaching at the ICSC University of Shopping Centers. I co-teach “Marketing & Social Media: Shopping Centers in the Digital Age” with Tim O’Connell, assistant VP, director of digital marketing and communications, at RPAI. While we present stats, trends and case studies, what energizes me most are the collaborative class discussions on how other shopping centers owners are progressing with their social media efforts.
Transforming South Florida

If the real estate trope that “Fashion Follows Food” is true, then Metropica will be one of the most chic neighborhoods in South Florida. Among the first tenants announced for the retail portion of the transit-oriented, mixed-use complex now under construction in Sunrise are: True Food Kitchen, Kona Grill, Oil & Vinegar, Fogo de Chão and Shake Shack. These will be joined by iPic Theaters, Kings Bowl, Anthropologie, Free People and Kendra Scott, among other first-to-market retailers.
Hudson’s Bay will feed need for speed with robots at new DC

Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) will open a new omnichannel fulfillment center in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, that includes assistance from robots.

The center, opening in July, will run robotic retail technology that HBC says is approximately three-times faster than the typical technology utilized in e-commerce DCs The retailer plans to open the 450,000-sq.-ft. facility through a phased approach, expanding to 617,500 sq. ft. by January 2017.
Butler Town Center

Everyone in the Gainesville, Florida, area knows Butler Plaza, the open-air retail center at Archer Road and SW 34th Street. Currently home to more than 1 million sq. ft. of retail and restaurants, it’s where north central Florida residents, 100,000 daytime employees and 75,000 students at the University of Florida and other colleges have filled their basic needs and wants for decades.