Retail Industry

Marketing in Disguise

Sarah O'Leary | Posted 11.16.2009 | Business


Sarah O'Leary

When marketers knowingly play in the darker parts of the gray to drive sales, they're doing a disservice to the consumer and the industry. A good deal not a good deal when it misinforms consumers.

Icahn Loans CIT $1 Billion, Backs Restructuring Plan

AP | STEPHEN BERNARD | Posted 10.30.2009 | Business


NEW YORK — Commercial lender CIT Group Inc. said Friday that billionaire investor and bondholder Carl Icahn agreed to support the company's rest...

You Don't Buy Clothes When You Get Foreclosed

Lita Smith-Mines | Posted 10.22.2009 | Business


Lita Smith-Mines

My foray back into stores after a long, involuntary hiatus was disturbing. The parking spaces and aisles were vacant. I guess, when you lose your house to foreclosure, your closets go too.

Empty Is as Empty Does

Lita Smith-Mines | Posted 10.17.2009 | Business


Lita Smith-Mines

In a formerly rural part of Long Island, many bountiful farm stands used to flourish. Now there are very few, as the land that had produced the harvests was sold during past abundant years to builders and developers.

The New Face of Fashion: Sustainable Luxury

Jeffrey Hutchison | Posted 09.19.2009 | Style


Jeffrey Hutchison

Embracing sustainability and crafting a new face of luxury need not be at odds; by exploring ways to achieve both simultaneously, an exciting new era of of design can be borne.

Consumers Rule: Finally!

Jim Randel | Posted 09.15.2009 | Business


Jim Randel

Since consumer spending represents about 2/3 of our economic engine, the economy will recover when consumers feel the time is right -- not when someone else tells consumers it will.

R.I.P. Gatorade (1965-2009): A Senseless Marketing Tragedy

Sarah O'Leary | Posted 08.04.2009 | Business


Sarah O'Leary

In an industry where experts have evangelized "brand equity" since the dawn of the ad man, the loss of Gatorade falls well outside of logic.

Filene's Basement files for Ch. 11 reorganization

AP | Posted 06.04.2009 | Business


WILMINGTON, Del. — Discount retailer Filene's Basement said Monday that it has filed to reorganize under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, less ...

Magnificent Mile Shops Hurting, Vacancy Highest Since 1992

Wall Street Journal | DOUGLAS BELKIN | Posted 05.10.2009 | Chicago


[T]oday the Magnificent Mile is enduring its highest vacancy rate since 1992. Retailers Lord & Taylor, Talbots Inc. and William-Sonoma Inc.'s Pottery ...

Ann Taylor To Shutter 163 Stores By 2010

Bloomberg | Allison Abell Schwartz and Mark Clothier | Posted 04.06.2009 | Business


March 6 (Bloomberg) -- AnnTaylor Stores Corp. plunged the most in more than eight years in New York trading after a shrinking job market stifled deman...

Wal-Mart Beats The Street, Competitors With 5.1% Same-Store Sales

AP | Posted 04.05.2009 | Business


BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. says February same-store sales rose 5.1 percent, far above analyst expectations. The world's largest r...

Store Closings, Weak Sales Could Mean $27 Billion Boon For Competitors

AP | ANNE D'INNOCENZIO and MAE ANDERSON | Posted 04.03.2009 | Business


NEW YORK — Retailers left standing amid the carcasses of their competitors are going after orphaned customers. They're using aggressive mailers,...

Sears Store Closings Despite Stronger-Than-Expected Earnings

Reuters | Posted 03.29.2009 | Business


ATLANTA (Reuters) -- Retailer Sears Holdings Corp (SHLD.O) posted stronger-than-expected quarterly results on Thursday as it cut costs during the rece...

Fortunoff Liquidation Begins

Reuters | Emily Chasan and Phil Wahba | Posted 03.28.2009 | Business


NEW YORK, Feb 24 (Reuters) - A federal bankruptcy judge on Tuesday approved the sale of luxury retailer Fortunoff Holdings LLC to a group of seven li...

Analysts: Retail Will Not Improve In 2008

Reuters Via CNBC | Posted 11.22.2009 | Business


U.S. chain stores, reeling from the slowest holiday shopping season in five years, got some more bad news Sunday: 2008 will not be any better and coul...

Macy's To Shutter 9 Stores, Cut 900 Jobs

AP | Posted 03.28.2008 | Business


Department-store operator Macy's Inc. on Friday said it will shutter nine underperforming stores, which collectively employ nearly 900 staffers, the l...

Gap Plans "Sweatshop Free" Labels After Child Labor Uproad

The Observer (U.K.) | Dan McDougall | Posted 03.28.2008 | Business


In what would be the biggest commitment to ending child labour ever undertaken by a major retailer, Gap Inc is drawing up plans to label its products ...

Retailers Lower Forecasts Amid Bleak Sales Reports

New York Times | MICHAEL BARBARO | Posted 03.28.2008 | Business


Retailers are in for a rough fall. Across the board, big chain stores reported bleak September same-store sales this morning. As a result, more than ...