Jet announced the return of JetCash two weeks ago, and the normal noise that accompanies a Wal-Mart / Amazon announcement was… muted. It shouldn’t be. Amazon has proven that a company can create a shopping holiday. Prime Day generated nearly $1 Billion dollars in…
Amazon’s newest brick and mortar location in Chicago opened this week – a Campus Pick-Up point in the heart of the DePaul-Lincoln Park neighborhood. In a neighborhood with several Amazon Lockers nearby, and a Whole Foods just up the street and Prime Now same day…
According to German trade press, Lidl announced a management change that will lead to new supervision in Germany of the U.S. market. Though local U.S. management disputes aspects of the store which pointed to “frighteningly weak” performance at some of the current 37 stores, it…
The meal kit market is going through a rapid and fascinating period of growth, retrenchment and repositioning. The latest development: Albertsons is buying Plated for an undisclosed price, marking the first purchase of a prepared meals company by a supermarket chain. As the lukewarm reception of Blue Apron…
Premium kitchen and bath retailer Pirch is retrenching, with plans to close stores in Chicago, Austin (already closed), Paramus and Atlanta by the end of September. This would leave the company with its four California stores, which they state are growing and profitable as well…
Today, Nordstrom announced the Nordstrom Local concept and an opening of a 3,000 square foot location in West Hollywood. This is a big deal. Real Estate and Inventory have always been potential albatrosses in shoe & apparel retail. But with Local, Nordstrom can eliminate inventory…
Starbucks announced they are shuttering all 379 Teavana units by the end of next year, ending a diversification strategy that began with some promise but ultimately yielded little other than new brands being incorporated into existing Starbucks locations. Starbucks roster of acquisitions included Evolution Fresh…
By my estimation, the last time a retailer created a shopping Holiday was when Hallmark created the now ubiquitous Hallmark Holidays (think Grandparents Day, Sweetest Day, Boss’s Day, and Secretary’s Day. .)—why are these holidays a thing? None, however, have risen to the status of…
The retail world has been filled with doom and gloom stories this year and is on pace to a record number of store closings this year. Specialty apparel? Dismal, with True Religion the latest victim to declare Chapter 11. Sporting goods, electronics…all struggling as the…
This week we listened to a business broadcast where the discussion focused on retail’s state of crisis – hypothesizing that this is the leading edge of another major recession. It is true that we are seeing an accelerated pace of distressing news about the retail…
