News

Survey: Teens control $75 billion in discretionary spending
New York -- Teens directly command a whopping $75 billion of discretionary spending, but their wallets continue to shift from fashion and other “possession-based” categories to “shareworthy” experiences such as events and dining out. Those are among the findings of a study conducted by investment bank and asset management firm Piper Jaffrey.
Everything Happens On The Floor In A Retail Space
It’s important to balance not only the flooring product selection but also color consistency across materials, employee and customer comfort, risk management, slip-and-fall issues, branding, sustainability and more. Meet Mark Bischoff with Tarkett, as he discusses what it means to marry design and safety in a space as well as how Tarkett manages national and international rollouts.

Video: Face-to-Face at SPECS 2015

Chain Store Age editors conducted video interviews with key industry suppliers at SPECS 2015 in Las Vegas. Get updated on the latest trends and happenings in store design/planning, construction and facilities solutions and materials by clicking here.
Smart & Final underwrites offering of 10 million shares

Commerce, Calif. - Smart & Final Stores Inc. is pricing an underwritten public offering of 10 million shares of its common stock at $18.50 per share. The shares are owned by certain stockholders of the company, including affiliates of Ares Management L.P.
QVC connecting with country fans

The 50th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards show is April 19 and video and e-commerce retailer QVC has aligned itself with the event through a range of merchandising and live broadcast initiatives.
Study: Nordstrom has a ‘superior’ social media IQ

Seattle – Nordstrom came out on top in a study that ranked the social media performance of department stores by digital marketing analytics company Rival IQ. The Rival Results Index (RRI) for High-end Department Stores scored 12 department stores based on their social media performance during first quarter 2015. Macy’s followed Nordstrom in the overall rankings, with Harrods (London), Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman rounding out the top five.
Jet adds new e-commerce enablement partner

Membership-based online retailer Jet is partnering with QVC parent company Liberty Interactive’s marketing and virtual inventory solutions provider CommerceHub to help retailers and brand capitalize on the soon-to-launch Jet e-commerce platform.
Plug and Play’s CEO Corner: Arie Shpanya, Wiser

Plug and Play brings together retailers and start-ups that offer specific technology and expertise that can relieve merchants’ pain points. Chain Store Age’s Customer Disruption newsletter provides a Q&A with the CEO of one of those companies in each issue. This time, the spotlight is on Arie Shpanya of Wiser.

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Coming Attractions: Six new stores in the works

New concepts are the lifeblood of retailing. Here are six new stores — three homegrown formats and three imports — that are currently in the works:
Lids simplifies POS administration with Oracle Retail

Indianapolis – Lids Sports Group is upgrading to a new Oracle Retail POS solution that will simplify administration and the user experience for the more than 50 different POS screen and receipt configurations for the retailer’s partner brands. These include major college and pro teams, as well as the nearly 200 Locker Room-branded stores in Macy’s locations.