Retailers are seeking to cash in on Olympic merchandise and sell clothes modeled by competing athletes ahead of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. Through online apparel retailer Fanatics, Team USA is using a variety of channels to reach consumers — including its own pop-up store in Manhattan. Here are details about the shop, and a breakdown of which one factor, in particular, drives sales of Olympic merchandise.  Read More...

Brick-and-mortar retail had its worst year ever in 2017, with 7,000 store closures, 662 bankruptcy filings and 36,000 jobs lost. But if you ask some experts, these aren’t retail’s death throes; rather, they’re signs that the industry is evolving. Mall occupancy still lingers around 93 percent. Granted, some brands may have an easier time than others, depending on which type of goods they’re selling (like beauty or lingerie). L Brands CEO and chairman Les Wexner explains why eCommerce won’t kill brick-and-mortar — and what traditional retailers must do to stay in the game.  Read More...

Warehouse clubs seem to be everywhere, from the side of the highway to the web. These retailers typically offer bulk quantities of groceries and other household goods at lower prices than traditional brick-and-mortar stores, but these modern conveniences are not exactly new concepts. The defunct iconic grocer A&P pioneered the concept in the 1970s and,while it didn’t work out well for A&P, here’s why the strategy has been a blockbuster success for Costco and Boxed.  Read More...