Kate Troc

I keep hearing about how “brick and mortar retail is in trouble.” The numbers tell a different story. This year alone, there are over 1,000 stores opening across the U.S., with brands like TJ Maxx, Dollar Tree Stores, Dollar General, and Warby Parker leading the charge. This is unprecedented growth. And it’s a testament to the evolving retail landscape. But there’s a catch. Overall, most retailers today operate fewer stores due to the high costs. The stores that are around now serve multiple roles, including integrating both online and offline shopping experiences. Whether starting in-store and shipping home or ordering online and picking up in-store, it's all about meeting the customer where they are. Despite having fewer and smaller stores, the stakes are higher than ever for retailers. When customers visit a store today, they are serious about their intent. They're there to learn, fix, exchange, or buy something specific. If you miss the opportunity to serve them properly, you lose that sale—and likely won't get a second chance. This is especially critical for specialty stores—hardware, home improvement, electronics, books—where customers come in with a clear purpose. Failing to engage and assist them effectively means losing them to a competitor. In a world where retail is both online and offline, ensuring that every in-store interaction is handled perfectly is essential. It's about making the most of each moment, because you might not get another chance.

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Sales dipped and profits were lower for Dillard’s, whose CEO expressed disappointment in the Little Rock-based retailer’s performance. Dillard’s reported Thursday (Aug. 15) revenue of $1.514 billion in the second quarter compared to $1.597 billion in last year’s second quarter. Analysts projected second-quarter revenue at $1.53 billion. #retailsales #earningsreport #departmentstores

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Ahead of reporting earnings, Target announced it would cut prices for about 5,000 items. This video looks at Target's situation and other retailers, including Walmart and Ikea, that have seen price reductions recently. The grocery space in particular seems to be competitive, and Target's earnings results showed that it needs to attract shoppers who may have gone elsewhere. Read more Digital Commerce 360 reporting and analysis about what's going on in retail and ecommerce every day at our website. And access our recent story about Target here: https://bit.ly/4eccI9p #earnings #ecommerce #onlineretail #retail #Target

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Why Retail Needs Active Training and Impactful Coaching #RetailSuccess #EffectiveTraining https://hubs.ly/Q02D9FFv0

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WE ARE IN A GLOBAL ECONOMIC FUNK, BUCKLE UP! When Stalwart Brands Like PepsiCo Trim Revenue Expectations We Should Pay Attention. We are still ducking Covid, two wars, inflation (prices remain high) as do interest rates. Asian markets have slowed down as have their factories. Oil prices are on the rise again. And one report says consumers plan to spend the same amount of money on Halloween (for example) as they did last year. One of the reasons PepsiCo and others are trimming revenue. Consumers are getting less for their money. Which means everything else is expensive and they will not buy more than they can afford. The grip of higher prices and keeping a roof over one’s head and food on the table is a bigger priority than splurging. Retail therapy today is more akin to balancing the home Economics budget and taking care of necessities. #retailing #strategy #ceo #technology #innovation

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𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝘁𝘀, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲.   With inflation impacting consumer spending, food and beverage companies are under pressure to rethink pricing strategies to stay competitive. General Mills recently made a bold move by cutting prices, leading to a spike in demand as more shoppers choose to eat at home.   Their CEO highlighted that eating at home is now 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳 than dining out—a key factor in their strategy. But with softer demand across the market, brands face a challenging road ahead.   𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁? Learn more about General Mills’ approach here: https://lnkd.in/gJAZs2ag

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Target announced it's Q3 earnings today and boy did their stock take a turn for the worse. This is concerning as Walmart just announced yesterday to Wall Street increased sales expectations and brought up their forecasts, while in turn, Target is dropping theirs. +0.3% comparable sales, driven by strong traffic and digital performance. (1.9%) store comparable sales +2.4% increase to guest traffic +10.8% increase in digital comparable sales, reflecting nearly 20% growth in same-day delivery powered by Target Circle 360™ and double digit growth in Drive Up.  Beauty comparable sales grew more than 6%. Food & Beverage and Essentials categories grew low-single digits compared to the prior year. (0.2%) decrease to gross margin rate. Year-to-date, gross margin rate has expanded by a full percentage point compared to last year. #Target #Walmart #sales #digital #beauty #traffic #grossmargin parallel retail group

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We’re excited to announce we have joined Acosta Group, alongside CORE Foodservice, one of the most progressive foodservice sales agencies in North America. We continue as The Culinary Edge, serving our clients and supporting our people, now adding the strength and reach of Acosta Group. This is a transformational time for our industry, and it needs a new kind of innovation agency with the scale and skill to navigate it. #COREnews #COREFoodservice #futureoffood #design #foodandbeverage #innovation #futureoffood #restaurants #hospitality #foodinnovation #restaurantindustry #foodindustry #designthinking #humancentereddesign #tastemaker #culinary #foodleadership #restaurantmanagment #menuevolution #culinaryinnovation #restaurantoperations #menudesign #menuinnovation #techsolutions #consumerinsights

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So many posts about “over delivering” Heck, I wish folks would just focus on doing what the say they will do!! It’s easy AND no pressure!! Just show up, follow up and deliver on your commitments. That’s it!! #sales #marketing #business #strategy #cpgindustry #retail #people LinkedIn

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It’s not just a luxury playbook.  And it doesn't need to be limited to shoes. Most brands can better manage their distribution channels and how they get to consumers. What some call “pacing growth” can also be shown to fuel demand through constrained supply and exclusivity. It’s not limited to launching a celebrity collaboration, but calls for careful and selective allocation. Finally, managing inventory levels is important as always, but so is achieving the appropriate mix of where it is sold. Merchant strategy and intent, rigorous forecasting and planning, and fulfillment execution. #inventorymanagement

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Retail sales rose significantly, showing strong increases both month-over-month and year-over-year, as consumers continued to spend and drive growth https://lnkd.in/ekHc4QcA Total retail sales (excluding automobiles and gasoline but including restaurants) rose 1.35% month-over-month in May and were up 3.03% year-over-year #retail Chain Store Age

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Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Wednesday, November 27: 🏈 Dick's raised its full-year guidance on Tuesday after what CEO Lauren Hobart called an excellent back-to-school shopping season and better-than-expected comparable sales for its third quarter. 👕 Abercrombie & Fitch Co. reported its sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit gains, positioning the retailer for a healthy holiday season ahead. Net sales rose 14 percent to $1.2 billion from $1.06 billion in the year-ago quarter. 📺 Best Buy has cut its full-year sales forecast and missed Wall Street’s quarterly revenue expectations, as early holiday shopping and a fresh batch of iPhones and AI-enabled laptops weren’t enough to drive higher sales. 🏬 Kohl's shares fell sharply on Tuesday after the company's earnings missed Wall Street estimates and following its announcement that CEO Tom Kingsbury will step down in January. 🧥 Burlington Stores, Inc. posted higher sales in the latest quarter and said the holiday selling season has started strong, as the off-price retailer’s offerings resonate with consumers looking for deals. 🛍️ Nordstrom on Tuesday offered up a slightly more optimistic full-year sales forecast, but said there was a noticeable decline in sales trends at the end of last month. 👚 Urban Outfitters has said it doesn’t have to discount as aggressively, amid holiday-season optimism. In the latest quarter, revenue rose 6.3% to $1.36 billion, while same-store sales rose 1.5%. 📈 Economists are concerned that President-elect Trump's proposed blanket tariffs on imports would drive up food prices. Tariffs would not only impact food imports but would also push up costs for fertilizer and farm equipment. 👖 Guess trimmed its guidance for the year after swinging to a loss in its fiscal third quarter, citing slowed traffic at its stores in Asia and North America. Shares fell 10%, to $15.52, in after-hours trading. 🥦 Workers at a Whole Foods Market store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have filed to hold a union election, the first union filing at the supermarket chain since Amazon acquired it in 2017. 🍊 Orange juice prices have surged close to record highs after Florida was hit by hurricanes. A future contract for a pound of frozen orange juice concentrate currently trades for $5.13, compared to $1.20 in 2021. 📦 More than one-in-10 Americans reported experiencing package theft in the past year. Among these victims, 28% encountered theft during Black Friday shopping and 11% on Cyber Monday. 👍🏼 Americans continue to feel more upbeat about the outlook for the economy. The latest reading from the Conference Board was 111.7 in November, above the 109.6 seen in October and the highest level in more than a year. 🥖 Subway announced Tuesday that its CEO, John Chidsey, will retire at the end of 2024. Executive Carrie Walsh will replace him as interim CEO. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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Playing an ever-growing role within the aisles of dollar stores are private label products. Leading retailers in the channel have grown their respective assortments in recent years by developing items that are something other than name-brand equivalents. This continued effort is not only providing high-value items to consumers but also offering points of differentiation for each retailer. #dollarstores #privatebrands

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🚀 Looking for ways to elevate your brand in today’s shifting consumer landscape? Join us next week for an exclusive webinar with industry expert Nik Modi! Register below 👇

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https://lnkd.in/gguhheqi #retail #cpg #beauty #prestigebeauty #cosmetics #skincare #stores #ecommerce #dtc #ulta #sephora #elfcosmetics #marketing #loyaltyprograms #consumerspending #consumerpatterns Ulta Beauty, like other big beauty brands, will continue to work on key elements as highlighted by Ulta Beauty CEO Dave Kimbell - "...(strong) assortment, expand(ed) social relevance, enhance(d) digital experience, brand loyalty programs." With more consumers looking for value in their purchases, price points will no doubt be an ongoing consideration. In tandem, loyalty programs will continue to play a role in consumer purchase patterns - from casual restaurants to specialty retail to warehouse stores, consumers will continue seek value-add opportunities.

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Retail Today / Retail Renaissance: Is it possible to keep up with the fast paced Apparel Industry? The Atlantic Business Magazine takes a hard look at SHEIN! #SHIEN SHEIN: Why is it so cheap? What are they hiding? Estimated profits $2 Billion Dollars! #lowprices #cheap With over 1.5 SKU’s, it’s fast and cheap. Prices running between 40-60% lower than competitors. #fastfashion How U.S. trade laws support SHEIN, an open invitation to destroy our retail brands, using “de miniimis clause”, creating a “Duty-Free” environment. ☠️ #enviroment #tradelaws #substainabilty Why are they so secretive about labor practices? Is it forced labor? #labor Also I have attached a CNBC report, on Amazon in 2023, The Top Apparel/Footwear Retailer. Estimated at $68 Billion Dollars in sales. #amazon #target #costco #tjx #gap #ross #walmart If that’s not enough to make your head spin, follow Joanna Williams. How the new creator economy is upending everything! 💥💥💥 Joanna Williams #fashion #style #design #color #retail #retailtrends #retailindustry #apparelindustry #ecommerce #shoppingexperience #TopRetailExpert

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RetailStat's Starbucks Fiscal Year-End Report is Out! Starbucks faced weak traffic and a challenging FY24, prompting a leadership shakeup with new CEO Brian Niccol. Revenue grew slightly (+0.6% to $36.18B), but global comparable sales dropped 2%, with China underperforming (-8%). Despite operational pressures, Starbucks maintained strong North American unit volumes ($2.3M per store) and healthy debt metrics. Looking ahead, the Company plans to simplify pricing and enhance the in-store experience. Subscribers can read the full report at retailstat.com #RetailInsights #Starbucks #FY24 #FinancialAnalysis #RetailStat

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