ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR
Sep 2021
Sep 15
Parachute Expands into Furniture
Parachute, a direct-to-consumer bedding brand, is expanding its assortment again—this time into furniture.
Sep 15
Trend Talk Video: Vera Bradley Creates a Market for Good Retail
In the latest episode of Trend Talk, Retail Leader Editor Amy Baxter caught up with Harry Cunningham, vice president of retail brand experience at Vera Bradley, to learn more about the brand's new store concept, goodMRKT.
Sep 15
Shipt Partners with CitrusAd in New Retail Media Push
Grocery delivery company Shipt has teamed up with CitrusAd in a new retail media offering on Shipt’s digital platform.
Sep 15
Amazon Hiring 125K Workers, Raising Wages
Amazon is hiring 125,000 workers with a starting wage of at least $18 per hour.
Sep 15
Holiday Sales to Increase 7%-9%
Consumer confidence around the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to bolster 2021-2022 holiday retail sales.
Sep 15
Trend Talk Podcast: Vera Bradley's New Store Concept Does Good
Listen to the in-depth interview with Vera Bradley about the brand's new store concept, goodMRKT.
Sep 15
Movers & Shakers: United Natural Foods, Hy-Vee Appoint Execs
Welcome to Movers & Shakers, a roundup of the latest executive movements in the retail industry.
Sep 14
Walmart Ends Quarterly Bonuses Amid Wage Hike
Walmart is ending its quarterly bonuses after the retailer has increased wages for employees.
Sep 14
Millennials and Gen Z to Spend More this Holiday Season
Consumers ages 18-35 are expected to increase their spending this holiday season, according to a recent report from Outbrain.
Sep 14
Gopuff Launches Accelerator Program
Gopuff, the instant needs delivery company, has launched an accelerator program designed to support underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Sep 14
Misfits Market Raises $225M
Misfits Market, an online grocery delivery platform specializing in organic and sustainably sourced products, has raised $225 million in a Series C-1 funding round.
Sep 13
Amazon Will Cover Employees’ Tuition
Amazon is stepping up its benefits for employees with a new plan to cover tuition costs.
Sep 13
Shipt Expands Grocery Delivery by 2M Households
Target-owned grocery delivery company Shipt has expanded its services to more than two million households in the company’s largest expansion in three years.
Sep 13
Walmart is Not Accepting litecoin as Payment
A press release that stated Walmart would begin taking cryptocurrencies, including litecoin, as payment, is fake, the retailer said.
Sep 13
Retailers Endorse Ocean Shipping Reform Act
A coalition of businesses and trade groups have teamed up in support of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, which aims to address maritime industry changes.
Sep 09
Trend Talk Video: Rethinking the Service Station
In the latest episode of Trend Talk, Retail Leader Editor Amy Baxter speaks with Tom Edington, creative director and head of experience at YourStudio, the design firm behind an innovative service station in Leeds, U.K.
Sep 09
Amazon Will Ship Products for Outside Customers
Amazon is stepping up its shipping business to more directly compete with FedEx and UPS.
Sep 09
Trend Talk Podcast: Rethinking the Service Station
Now you can listen to in-depth Trend Talk interviews wherever you get your podcasts.
Sep 09
Kellogg’s Invests $45M in Supply Chain Reorganizing
Kellogg’s is planning to spend roughly $45 million to reorganize its supply chain network.
Sep 09
Amazon’s Cashierless Checkout Comes to Whole Foods
Amazon is bringing its cashierless checkout system featured in its experimental shops to two Whole Foods stores.
Sep 08
How Brands Can Leverage TikTok
TikTok is not just for Gen Z. And even if it is, it’s still where brands should present themselves.
Sep 07
Walmart Hikes Wages for 565K Associates
Walmart has increased wages for 565,000 of its employees, marking the third pay increase for its hourly workers this year.
Sep 07
Retail Industry Still Lags in Employment Returns
The retail industry was one of the hardest hit sectors of the COVID-19 pandemic, and employment is still lagging behind.
Sep 07
1-800 Flowers, Dollar General Seek Tens of Thousands of New Employees
Retailers are on a massive hiring spree ahead of the 2021 holiday season.
Sep 07
Dick’s Sporting Goods to Open New Public Lands Store Concept
Dick’s Sporting Goods is readying to debut its new store concept—Public Lands—in Pittsburgh on Sept. 24.
Sep 03
Trend Talk Video: 3 In-Store Innovations in 3 Minutes
In the latest episode of Retail Leader Trend Talk, Editor Amy Baxter shares three in-store innovations she found at the retailX conference in Chicago, Aug. 24-25.
Sep 03
Walgreens Debuts New Debit Card and Bank Account
Walgreens is launching Scarlet, a bank account and Mastercard debit card that offers 3% Walgreens Cash Rewards for purchases at the retailer.
Sep 02
Sally Beauty Names New CEO
Sally Beauty has named Denise Paulonis as its new president and CEO, effective Oct. 1. Paulonis is the company’s first female CEO.
Sep 02
Walmart Announces Hiring Blitz to Add 20K Supply Chain Associates
Walmart is looking to add 20,000 associates at its supply chain locations.
Sep 02
Labor Market Will Play Increasing Role in Retail’s Recovery
Americans are spending more in 2021 thanks to government stimulus and federal aid from the COVID-19 pandemic, but as help tapers off, higher wages will need to play a bigger role in the continued economic recovery.
Sep 01
Movers & Shakers: Walgreens, Macy’s Add New Execs; Bed, Bath & Beyond Chief Brand Officer Departs
Welcome to Movers & Shakers, a weekly roundup of executive movement in the retail industry.
Aug 2021
Aug 31
Janie and Jack President Shares the Brand’s Success to Surviving Two Sales and a Bankruptcy
Retailers saw apparel sales fall off a cliff in 2020, pushing the industry to the brink.
Aug 31
Amazon Taps Affirm for Buy-Now-Pay-Later Option
Amazon has teamed up with Affirm to let qualified customers pay for their purchases over time.
Aug 31
Walmart’s Media Business Offers New Demand-Side Platform
The world’s largest retailer expands off-site media opportunities at scale through a new demand-side platform (DSP).
Aug 31
Schnucks Markets Launches Robots Across All its Stores
Grocery chain Schnucks Markets has rolled out robots to all 111 of its locations via a partnership with Simbe Robotics.
Aug 31
CVS Health Opens MinuteClinics, Expands Mental Health Care
CVS Health is taking its MinuteClinic offering to Washington after the pharmacy retailer opened its first locations in the state.
Aug 30
Finance Roundup: Gap Acquires Virtual Try-on Startup, Trove and Flip Announce Funding Rounds
Gap Inc. has acquired Drapr, a startup company that creates 3D avatars to enable customers to try on clothes virtually.
Aug 30
Ikea Launches Resale Program
Ikea is joining the growing throng of retailers entering the resale space with its own buyback program.
Aug 27
How Pop-Up Retail Stores Fit into the World of Uncertainty
As retail continues to dig itself out of the hole of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic decimated foot traffic and sales for many categories, pop-up shops are continuing to gain momentum.
Aug 27
Trend Talk Video: The Current State of Retail
In this episode of Retail Leader Trend Talk, Editor Amy Baxter sits down with Mike Rittler, head of retail card services at TD Bank, to discuss the current state of retail––plus end-of-year insights.
Aug 26
Walmart Gets into the Delivery Space
The world’s largest retailer has launched a new white-label, crowd-sourced delivery service now available to U.S. retailers.
Aug 26
Ikea Tests Out a New Store Format
Ikea is doing away with its well-known warehouse maze of a store format in two new store concepts.
Aug 23
Dollar Tree to Hire 35K Ahead of Holiday Season
Dollar Tree is looking to hire 35,000 associates for the holiday season and will kick off recruitment with a two-day hiring event.
Aug 23
Grocery Stores Battle Supply Chain Crunch
Supply chain struggles are nearly just as bad now as they were in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aug 23
Retailers Are Trying to Get a Grip on Returns
The rise in e-commerce has led to an increase in returns by shoppers, leading many retailers to invest in returns management.
Aug 20
Trend Talk Video: The Hybrid Shopper and the 2021 Holiday Season
Retail Leader Editor Amy Baxter sits down with Michael McGowan, senior vice president of commercial insights and loyalty for 84.51°, to chat about a new type of shopper that has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic--the hybrid shopper.
Aug 20
Gen Z Shoppers Are Ready to Spend on Clothing
Gen Z shoppers care about fashion that helps them fit in––but that also makes a statement through their beliefs and values.
Aug 20
Toys “R” Us to Open Shops Within Macy’s Stores
Toys “R” Us, the iconic toy retailer that liquidated all its stores after filing for bankruptcy in 2018, is partnering with Macy’s to open shops within Macy’s locations.
Aug 20
David’s Bridal in Growth Mode, Opening More Stores
David’s Bridal is opening new stores as it expands its footprint and updates its existing stores.
Aug 19
July Retail Sales Feel the Effects of the Delta Variant
Following months of recovery, retail sales stumbled in July.
Aug 19
Walmart, Albertsons Partner with United Airlines for Travel Safety
Walmart and Albertsons have partnered in a new deal with United Airlines to streamline health information for travelers, including access to COVID-19 testing locations.
Aug 19
Amazon to Open Department Store Locations
Amazon is taking a big step into physical retail with plans to open several large, brick-and-mortar stores reminiscent of department stores.
Aug 18
Online Reviews are Critical for E-Commerce
More than half of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase.
Aug 18
Kroger Launches App-Based Training Program to Retain Employees
Supermarket chain Kroger is launching an app-based employee training program that aims to engage and retain employees during a tight labor market.
Aug 16
Walmart Partners with Publicis Groupe for Media
Walmart has partnered with Publicis Groupe for its media needs.
Aug 16
Walgreens Debuts Credit Card Program
Walgreens has rolled out two credit cards as part of a new program called myWalgreens.
Aug 16
How Retail is Bringing Consumers Back
Big store concepts are helping retailers lure customers back into their stores.
Aug 16
Albertsons Kicks Off New Membership Program to Rival Amazon
Supermarket chain Albertsons is the latest retailer to launch a membership program with a subscription service for unlimited free delivery.
Aug 16
Walmart is Hiring for a Crypto Currency Role
In the latest sign that Walmart is dabbling in cryptocurrency, the retailer is hiring for a digital currency and cryptocurrency lead.
Aug 13
Trend Talk Video: Top Women in Retail Tech
In this episode of Trend Talk, Retail Leader Editor Amy Baxter sits down with Jamie Goodman, senior editor at RIS News, to take a look at exceptional high-ranking retail executives who are making significant contributions in retail technology.
Aug 13
Taco Bell to Debut Frictionless Drive-Thru Concept in 2022
Taco Bell has dropped a sneak peek of its new drive-thru concept coming in 2022.
Aug 13
Nike Opens Innovative Rise Store Concept in Seoul
Nike is bringing its Rise store concept to Seoul, South Korea, offering an immersive retail experience that matches the identity of the digitally connected city.
Aug 12
Saks Teams Up with WeWork to Open In-Store Co-Working Space
Saks Fifth Avenue has partnered with WeWork to convert parts of its department store into co-working spaces.
Aug 12
Gopuff Acquires European Delivery Platform
Gopuff has made another acquisition as the everyday essential needs delivery company continues to expand its reach amid a huge growth period.
Aug 12
Adidas Sells Reebok for $2.5B
Adidas is offloading its Reebok brand to Authentic Brands Group in a deal valued at $2.5 billion.
Aug 11
Movers & Shakers: Conn’s, Gorillas and Spirit Hub
Welcome to Movers & Shakers, a roundup of the latest executive moves in the retail industry.
Aug 11
How the Retail Recovery is Still Changing the Industry
The retail industry was completely shaken up by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many physical stores temporarily shutting down as brands shifted to e-commerce.
Aug 10
Senate Approves $1T Infrastructure Bill
The U.S. Senate has approved a $1 trillion infrastructure bill that will shore up critical resources utilized by the retail industry.
Aug 10
Amazon Will Cover Faulty Goods Sold on Platform
Amazon has extended its guarantee to all products sold on its e-commerce platform, even for faulty goods that cause property damage or personal injury.
Aug 10
Albertsons Appoints New President and CFO
Grocery store chain Albertsons has named Sharon McCollam as its new president and CFO, effective Sept. 7.
Aug 09
Walmart Offers Weekly Bonuses to Warehouse Workers
Walmart is increasing compensation for its warehouse and fulfillment center workers with weekly bonuses ahead of the holiday season.
Aug 09
Cargo Imports Rise Again in August as Retailers Brace for Holiday Season
Retail cargo imports are expected to hit another record high in August as retailers brace for the upcoming holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation’s monthly Global Port Tracker report.
Aug 09
DoorDash Adds Multi-Store Shopping Option
DoorDash has launched a new offering that enables customers to shop across multiple stores and categories in one order, according to Progressive Grocer.
Aug 06
Whole Foods Piloting $9.95 Fee for Delivery
Whole Foods is adding a $9.95 delivery fee for its grocery delivery orders in at least five markets.
Aug 06
Pacsun to Debut First Live Shopping Event from Flagship Store
Pacsun is debuting its first-ever live streaming shopping event in honor of the one-year anniversary of its flagship store in Soho, New York, on Aug. 6.
Aug 06
Trend Talk Video: Retail Real Estate Trends
In this episode of Trend Talk, Retail Leader Editor Amy Baxter discusses the latest trends in retail real estate with Beth Radichel, real estate partner at Neal Gerber Eisenberg.
Aug 06
PepsiCo to Sell Juice Brands
PepsiCo is selling its Tropicana and Naked juice brands to PAI Partners as part of a deal valued at $3.3 billion, Consumer Goods Technology reported.
Aug 05
Target to Offer Debt-Free College Program to Team Members
Target is debuting a new program that will provide significant education funding to its team members.
Aug 05
Ikea Boxes Up Retail Experience with Meatball-Scented Candle
Ikea is recreating the in-store retail experience in an innovative box that includes a Swedish meatball-scented candle.
Aug 05
Kroger Ventures into On-Demand Fresh Food with Ghost Kitchen Partnership
Kroger has partnered with Kitchen United, a ghost kitchen company, to offer fresh, on-demand restaurant food.
Aug 05
NRF Publishes List of Hot 25 Retailers
Wine.com is the hottest U.S. retailer in 2021, according to a new ranking from the National Retail Federation.
Aug 04
Movers & Shakers: Saks Off Fifth New COO, Weigel’s CEO Passes
Welcome to Movers & Shakers, a roundup of executive moves in the retail industry.
Aug 03
Target, Walmart and CVS Health Launch Pilot to Replace Plastic Bags
A trio of mass retailers have banded together to launch a series of pilot tests to replace plastic bags with more sustainable alternatives for shoppers.
Aug 03
Meijer Reveals Back-to-School Trends
Back-to-school shopping is underway for retailers, and families are expected to spend more than ever as schools reopen for in-person learning.
Aug 03
Hy-Vee Debuts Medicare Agency for Beneficiaries
Supermarket chain Hy-Vee has added Hy-Vee Medicare Aisle, a Medicare agency that allows beneficiaries to enroll in Medicare plans, Drug Store News reported.
Aug 02
Foot Locker Makes Two Acquisitions for $1.1B
Foot Locker is making two separate acquisitions totaling $1.1 billion.
Aug 02
Gopuff Confirms It Raised Another $1B
Gopuff confirmed rumors it has raised $1 billion in a funding round that brought the company’s valuation up to a whopping $15 billion.
Aug 02
Walmart Reinstates Mask Mandate as COVID-19 Cases Rise
With COVID-19 cases on the rise, Walmart is bringing back mask mandates for workers to some of its stores.
Aug 02
P&G Names New CEO
Jon Moeller will take over as CEO and president of Procter & Gamble, effective Nov. 1.