Month of September
Creating content within the traditional retail industry or a unique and personalized experience should be the new mantras for brands, as well as for several retailers, if they wish to adjust to the new reality that this market is experiencing or, otherwise, be left behind and forgotten. But this change must be adopted as soon as possible, since the stores that are closing their doors around the world are not few in numbers, mainly because the consumer that they were used to selling to, is mutating, and looking to be satisfied anew, beyond the final product. And while there is a generational component, not everything has to do with the age of the buyer: regardless of age, everyone wants more.
We’re in the height of the so-called retail apocalypse, and I’m loving it. As major retailers continue to close stores nationwide, more and more brands are being forced to innovate their retail strategies and come up with creative new ways to attract shoppers. And it’s ultimately making the retail space much more interesting.
The beauty industry has seen enormous innovation and entrepreneurship in the last several years. Countless new brands have been created and an endless array of new ingredients have been developed.
The National Rifle Association condemned Walmart after the retail giant announced it would stop selling ammunition that can be used in assault-style rifles and handguns. Walmart had come under criticism over its response to the recent mass shooting at a store in El Paso, Texas. On Tuesday, CEO Doug McMillon announced that the retailer would discontinue selling certain types of ammo but would continue to sell deer rifles and shotguns
The way online shoppers look for products online is changing—especially for younger consumers. Visual search, which is search based on images rather than text, is on the rise. The reason: It helps consumers address questions that are hard to put into text-based searches, such as, “What item pairs best with these shoes?” or “Where can I find a similar jacket?”
Retail stocks are a tricky buy right now as several factors are weighing on the sector. The trade war between the U.S. and China remains an uncertainty for the majority of retailers, but consumer behavior and a changing landscape has also cast a shadow over several retail sectors. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t deals to be had.
Neiman Marcus Group on Tuesday confirmed to Retail Dive that Chief Financial Officer Adam Orvos is leaving the company to join another “as a natural progression in his career.” He will stay through Oct. 11 and assist in a transition plan, the company said in an email. He leaves less than 18 months after he took the job.
Germany’s environment minister says she wants to ban certain light plastic bags from retail stores in an effort to cut down on long-lived waste. Svenja Schulze said Friday that the measure is intended to discourage a “throw-away mentality in which things are used for only a few minutes” but which pollute the environment for many decades.