As retail chains scaled, the focus shifted to shelf space. The brands that occupied the most shelf space inside the store gained an immediate advantage. When shopping moved online, the fight shifted from real estate to clicks and traffic. Social commerce has fundamentally transformed the way people shop. Discovery and checkout are merging into a single cycle, creating both opportunities and chaos, which is precisely why brands need their own creator infrastructure.
For so long, retailers have been told that what sets brick-and-mortar apart is the "human element." But a landmark new survey shows exactly the opposite: roughly half of younger consumers prefer a shopping experience that lets them avoid other people. Convenience and efficiency loom large here: more than three-quarters of Gen Z and millennial shoppers regularly choose online purchases and curbside or in-store pickup.
Every year, many dispensaries across the United States experience the same problem: a sudden and sharp decline in revenue between August and September. The numbers are consistent, with most stores reporting a 15-25% drop compared to the final weeks of summer. Yet despite how predictable this shift is, most dispensaries treat it like a surprise. Some stores thrive during this period, particularly those located in college towns where students return in September and fuel higher traffic.
Four years ago Asos, and its fellow online fast fashion purveyor Boohoo, were booming as the high street suffered from Covid pandemic lockdowns, and largely housebound shoppers had cash to spare for slouchy leisurewear. They thought shoppers had been permanently converted to online shopping, and stocked up accordingly, only for Asos to find itself lumbered with a 1bn stock hangover as, post-pandemic, young and old alike once again enjoyed the freedom to try on clothes and stalk the high street.
Case in point: A rotating selection of about 500 items that Dollar General sells in its stores for $1 - which the company calls "Value Valley" - sold at twice the rate of everything else that the retailersold during its second quarter, Vasos said on the company's most recent earnings call. That made the $1 section "one of our strongest performing areas in the quarter," he said.
Mickey Drexler redefined retail by radically remaking Gap and J.Crew, and working alongside Steve Jobs to guide the creation of the Apple Store. Now Drexler assesses some of the biggest stories in the retail industry today, from the weight of crippling tariffs and U.S. manufacturing skepticism to the controversial American Eagle campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney. Feisty as ever, Drexler shares his unvarnished view on in-office work, AI 's limitations, and why leaders need to follow their gut or get out of the way.
Amazon's growth as a mass and premium beauty retailer significantly raises the competitive bar for beauty industry players, particularly traditional retailers and department stores. Future success will depend less on brand exclusivity and more on convenience and enriched online shopping experiences.
Under CEO Patrice Louvet, Ralph Lauren has enticed young consumers by operating 35 "Ralph's Coffee" store-in-stores, serving as a platform to engage with the TikTok generation.
The design of Trader Joe's tasting kitchen is reminiscent of a "cold war interrogation booth" to ensure unbiased product testing, according to Vice President of Product Marketing, Matt Sloan.
The affected employees are part of its store support centres, as Lululemon evolves its organizational structure to operate with more agility and further invest in growth.
When Asda fired the opening salvos in a UK supermarket price war in mid-March the markets immediately sat up and took notice and the latest updates from Tesco and now Sainsbury's suggest this was the right call.