Retail Stores

As the price of power climbs across much of the U.S., you can view your business's energy spend as an operational headache or as a competitive advantage. As retailers gear up for the critical end-of-year shopping season, a perfect storm of energy market volatility is brewing. Recent PJM capacity auctions hit record highs at $329.17/MW-day…

The retail sector is defined by the need for speed, whether launching a new concept or rolling out a store across a region. As you seek to establish new flagship stores, distribution centers, or regional headquarters, the seemingly simple step of permitting can quickly become an unexpected and costly roadblock. Traditional permitting — a complex…

For years, retail property decisions were guided by instinct, historical performance and broad market reports. That model is rapidly fading. Today, real-time data has become the decisive factor shaping everything from leasing choices to customer engagement strategies. Retail leaders are now using live data to refine location strategy in ways that weren't possible even a…

In episode 493 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Liza Lefkowski, vice president and chief merchant of stores at Wayfair,  a leading home and furniture retailer. The interview was recorded at Shoptalk Fall in Chicago last month. Lefkowski discusses Wayfair's strategy of using design, storytelling, and product curation to connect emotionally with customers…

Kelly Pedersen, a partner in PwC's Global Retail Division, discusses findings from the consulting firm's 2025 Holiday Outlook report. With 80 percent of holiday shopping expected to be completed by Cyber Monday, Pedersen advises retailers to stock early and focus on personalized offers. In this video interview, recorded at Total Retail Tech last month in…

Toys R Us has massive expansion plans for this holiday season. 100 days before Christmas, the toy retailer announced that it would be experiencing “its largest growth year yet.” Most of the growth is happening in the U.S., with 36 total stores planned to open by the end of the year. Toys R Us, in…

Rite Aid, once one of America’s biggest pharmacy chains, shuttered its remaining 89 stores this week after filing for bankruptcy in May for the second time in less than two years, reports CNN. “All Rite Aid stores have now closed. We thank our loyal customers for their many years of support,” the company said in…

In episode 491 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jerry Lin, co-founder of Helix, a leading direct-to-consumer (DTC) mattress and sleep brand, part of 3Z Brands. Listen in as Lin discusses starting the business from scratch 10 years ago (1:30), Helix's newest retail partnership with Rooms To Go (4:00), and ensuring that the…

When Kohl’s brought Sephora into its stores it signaled more than just a cosmetic expansion. It highlighted a growing strategy in retail real estate: the store-in-store model. Store-in-store partnerships are redefining how retailers think about space, remodeling, and long-term planning. The model isn't new, but its rapid rise reflects changing market forces and the need…

What do athletic apparel brand lululemon, beauty brands Glossier and Sephora, outdoor equipment company REI, and the restaurant brand Eataly have in common? They’re all investing in experiences to reshape the future of retail. Even as retailers pump more into digital experiences and technology, the latest consumer trends suggest that instead of devaluing or downplaying…