News

HRC: Discounter tops with Gen Z for back-to-school shopping
Gen Z shoppers are gearing up to hit the stores for back-to-school purchases — and their top destination is Walmart. Thirty-six percent of boys and girls cite Walmart as their first choice for back-to-school shopping, more than double that of any other retailer, according to a survey conducted by strategic retail advisory firm HRC Retail Advisory.
Target CEO: Hispanics are shopping less
An important demographic for many retailers appears to be staying home more these days. In remarks at Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech Conference in Aspen, Colorado, Target CEO Brian Cornell cited an 11% dip in shopping activity among Hispanic consumers in the past several months. (A Target spokesman said later he was referencing industrywide data from the NPD Group, The Star-Tribune reported.) “There’s almost a cocooning factor,” Cornell said.

Online giant quietly launches meal kits

Amazon isn’t wasting any time in entering the booming meal kit category.
Online apparel brand with big following to open flagship

A clothing brand know for its "radical transparency" is putting down roots in its hometown. Everlane will open its first permanent brick-and-mortar location, in San Francisco. The opening date hasn't been announced yet, but the company has posted a variety of available jobs, including "flagship store leader," on its website. The storefront, on Valencia Street in the city's Mission District, is already identified with the brand's "100% Human" tagline.
Study: Loyalty programs need a digital boost

Expensive, ineffective loyalty programs are in need of a makeover. Retailers that shift to digital-centric programs that engage and promote brand advocacy will retain the loyalty of customers, according to the “Intelligence Report: Loyalty 2017.” The report, from L2, evaluates the successes and pitfalls of loyalty programs for 99 consumer brands across activewear, beauty, big box, department stores, and specialty retail.
Online giant blending offline and online grocery — and it's not Amazon

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has stepped up its efforts to combine physical retail with online in the supermarket space.
Pizza giant launches aggressive hiring spree

Pizza Hut is making big moves to improve the accuracy and reliability of its delivery experience. The subsidiary of Yum! Brands plans to hire nearly 3,000 new drivers a month through the end of the year. The hiring effort, which will include full and part-time positions, will add approximately 14,000 new drivers across its delivery fleet, according to the company.
Women's fitness concept closing up shop

Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. is shutting down its women's fashion/fitness store format. Dick's is closing its two existing Chelsea Collective stores on August 6. Dick's launched the brand in 2015, but it never expanded it in any signficiant way.
Survey: Fast response times critical to customer experience and brand loyalty

Retailers who frustrate consumers risk brand abandonment. Almost half of North American and European consumers surveyed by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council say they will abandon a brand if they continuously encounter a poor, impersonal or frustrating customer experience across channels of engagement. The study was undertaken in partnership with SAP Hybris.
Off-price giant details new store concept

The TJX Companies will debut a new, off-price home store concept in August. HomeSense will open its initial U.S. location on August 17, in Framingham, Mass. Three additional stores are planned by the end of 2017, with locations in East Hanover, N.J., Ocean Township, N.J., and Westwood, Mass.