February 5, 2020 Flash Report Register for Free Access Macy’s Announces New Three-Year Strategy, Closing Approximately 125 StoresMacy’s has announced an ambitious, three-year turnaround plan called Polaris that will see the retailer close around 125 stores, restructure corporate offices and cut its cost base. The five-point plan also seeks to strengthen customer relationships, improve its fashion offering and enhance digital capabilities.
February 4, 2020 Insight Report Premium AI in Retail: Computer Vision for In-Store Inventory ManagementIn our AI in Retail series, we discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way retailers operate and interact with customers. This report discusses how computer vision can be integrated into inventory management systems to bring benefits to retailers. Selected use cases illustrate that retailers are collaborating with technology providers to roll out computer vision applications.
February 4, 2020 Deep Dive Premium Private Labels in US Beauty and Personal CareWe consider the penetration of private labels in the US beauty and personal care sector over recent years and discuss the impact of contextual factors such as market fragmentation. Private labels remain a hot topic in beauty, particularly in the skincare category, and leading retailers such as Amazon and Walmart debuted private-label beauty products in 2019. We offer our view on why private labels are important for retailers as well as the challenges they present.
February 3, 2020 Insight Report Premium The Home Depot: A Timeline of Key EventsRead about the key dates and milestones in Home Depot’s rise to becoming a US home-improvement icon. From its humble beginnings as a more or less giant hardware store when it was founded in 1978, Home Depot has grown into a home improvement staple with more than 2,200 stores.
January 31, 2020 Flash Report Register for Free Access Estée Lauder Announces Global Leadership Promotions at Two of Its Billion-Dollar Brands and Two of Its Developing BrandsEstée Lauder has announced leadership changes at two if its billion-dollar brands (La Mer and MAC Cosmetics) and two of its developing brands (Le Labo and Dr. Jart+ / Do The Right Thing). The announcements come as the company continues to grow through acquisition and organically by reinvigorating heritage brands.
January 30, 2020 Insight Report Premium Holiday 2019: US Retail Wrap-UpUS retail enjoyed a solid holiday season: Consumers shrugged off concerns and boosted spending healthily over last year. Spending rose despite concerns over the economy, trade issues with China that could have pushed up prices at the register and increasing domestic political uncertainty.
January 30, 2020 Insight Report Premium Beauty Insights: How Brands and Retailers Are Deploying Customization and Personalization TechnologiesWe explore how beauty brands are leveraging technology to enhance their offerings. Some of the more interesting developments include smart devices with increased functionality and tools to boost consumer engagement with the brand.
January 27, 2020 Insight Report Premium New Retail Briefing: JD.com’s 7Fresh Opens a New Store Format, Seven FunJD.com’s 7Fresh opens a new-format store in Beijing, Alibaba launches a peer-to-peer dropshipping option in its Taobao app, and secondhand products marketplace Idle Fish adds location-based services.
January 27, 2020 Deep Dive Premium US Drugstores Adapt to a Digital Age within Healthcare and BeautyWith the drugstore retail sector evolving in the face of digital disruption, we explore how two traditional pharmacy chains—CVS and Walgreens—are responding to competition from e-pharmacy startups and other online rivals. We discuss a number of key strategies that the two companies are implementing to expand their offerings.
January 26, 2020 Insight Report Premium Dollar General: A Timeline of Key EventsThis report charts the rise of Dollar General from its humble beginnings as a single wholesale outlet in a small town in Kentucky to a discounting behemoth with over 16,000 stores in 44 states. We look at key events that have propelled the company to household name status—and its ambitious plans for future growth.
January 23, 2020 Insight Report Premium Consumer Tech Briefing: AI Underpins CES Product Launches from Samsung, LG and L’OréalEach month, our Consumer Tech Briefing series discusses recent developments in the world of technology. This month, we focus on some of the product launches we saw at CES 2020, including AI-driven technology from Samsung and L’Oréal.
January 17, 2020 Flash Report Register for Free Access Gap Scraps Old Navy Spin-Off; Moderately Raises Its Fiscal 2019 OutlookOn January 16, Gap Inc. announced that it had canceled its plans to spin off the Old Navy business, citing investors’ concerns over the complexity of the separation and softer business performance of the brand. Gap Inc. has raised its fiscal year 2019 outlook moderately, owing to better-than-expected promotional levels over the holiday period.
January 16, 2020 Store Tracker Databank Members Reviewing 2019 US and UK Store ClosuresWe review store closures and openings in the US and UK for the full-year 2019. We break down the numbers by sector and analyze the key retailers that significantly contributed to total openings and closures over the course of the year.
January 15, 2020 Event Coverage Register for Free Access NRF 2020 Day 3: Store Experiences, Consumer Data and Retail InnovationInsights from day 3 of the NRF Big Show in New York include the massive benefits of experiential shopping, using China as a consumer lab and leveraging data analytics to supercharge consumer insights.
January 13, 2020 Event Coverage Register for Free Access NRF 2020 Day 1 Insights: The Digital Economy Is HereInsights from day 1 of the NRF 2020 Retail’s Big Show in New York include the value of increasing technology intensity, the changing nature of retail jobs and increasing connectedness. Today’s consumers have more choice than ever before, and that choice is enabled by the rapid rise of digital technologies.
