Physical Retail

Access research reports and presentations on the retail and technology ecosystem, including consumers, companies, economies, and retail and technology trends. Use the filters below to find research reports and presentations by sector, theme, company or other parameters. Alternatively, use the search box above to find relevant research content.

Insight Report | July 23, 2020 Premium

REITs Becoming Retailers: Mall Owners Are Looking To Acquire Struggling Retailers

Amid the rise of bankruptcies in the retail industry and increasing brick-and-mortar store closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, we discuss a selection of US retailers that are potentially facing acquisition by mall owners—and we analyze the strategy behind REITs becoming retailers.

Event Coverage | July 23, 2020

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Key Insights from CEW’s State of the Beauty Industry Conference: Spectacular Retail and Self-Sufficiency

Global beauty executives came together in July for the annual Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) State of the Beauty Industry conference, which was hosted online for the first time. We present key insights from the presentations given by industry leaders on beauty and wellness markets in the age of Covid-19.

Insight Report | July 22, 2020 Premium

Contactless Technologies in Grocery Retail and Food Service: Touch-Free Shopping in a Post-Crisis World

We discuss recent developments in the adoption of contactless technologies in grocery retail and by food-service businesses, as they adapt to demand for touch-free shopping in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis. This report includes highlights from Amazon, Coca-Cola and Walmart.

Insight Report | July 21, 2020 Premium

Retail Reimagined: Using Gamification To Attract Shoppers

As part of our Retail Reimagined series, which explores the outlook for retail in a post-crisis world, we discuss the rise of gamification and recent examples of this trend. We consider the implications for brands, retailers and technology vendors.

Insight Report | July 21, 2020 Premium

US Food-Service Closures: Spike in Closures Pile on the Pain for Landlords

In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, the outlook for landlords, mall owners and REITs could be worse than our estimates for retail store closures suggest, as US food-service businesses announce closures and bankruptcies. We outline recent developments and their implications for the retail industry.

Store Tracker | July 17, 2020 Databank Members

Weekly US and UK Store Openings and Closures Tracker 2020, Week 29: Muji USA and RTW Retailwinds File for Bankruptcy

Our Weekly US and UK Store Openings and Closures Tracker reports on store closures, openings and bankruptcies. This week, there are highlights from Muji USA, PVH Corp. and RTW Retailwinds in the US, and Halfords, Lidl and Peter Jones China in the UK.

Event Coverage | July 17, 2020

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Open for Business with Chris Baldwin, BJ’s Wholesale Club: Empathy and Personalization in Club-Store Retail

As part of our Open for Business webinar series, we hosted Chris Baldwin, Chairman of BJ’s Wholesale Club. We present an edited transcript from this webinar, in which Baldwin offered insights into changing consumer demand amid the coronavirus crisis—covering key topics such as personalization and assortment localization.

Event Coverage | July 16, 2020

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Open for Business with Brad Santanna, The Hershey Company: Digital Signals and Omnichannel Consumer Engagement

As part of our Open for Business webinar series, we hosted Brad Santanna, Head of E-Commerce Sales at The Hershey Company. We present an edited transcript from this webinar, in which Santanna offered insights into the importance of understanding consumer sentiment in demand, particularly in the current Covid-19 environment—covering key topics such as customer engagement, the use of data, omnichannel shopping and fulfillment.

Flash Report | July 15, 2020

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Retail 2020: 10 Retail-Tech Startup Trends— Post-Crisis Update

We provide an update on our retail-tech startup trends for 2020 in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Demand for contact-light retail will drive omnichannel fulfillment options and cashierless store experiences, while data privacy, sustainability and the consumerization of health care may remain key priorities for retailers.

Event Coverage | July 13, 2020

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Open for Business with Bjoern Peterson, Sensormatic Solutions: The Physical Store and Inventory Accuracy Post Crisis

As part of our Open for Business webinar series, we hosted Bjoern Petersen, President of Sensormatic Solutions. We present an edited transcript from this webinar, in which Petersen offered insights into how retailers can work toward gaining inventory accuracy in the wake of the coronavirus crisis—covering key topics such as consumer demand, e-commerce and fulfillment.

Store Tracker | July 10, 2020 Databank Members

Weekly US and UK Store Openings and Closures Tracker 2020, Week 28: Brooks Brothers, G-Star Raw, Lucky Brand and Sur La Table File for Bankruptcy

Our Weekly US and UK Store Openings and Closures Tracker reports on store closures, openings and bankruptcies. This week, there are highlights from Amazon, Brooks Brothers and G-Star Raw in the US, and John Lewis, Little Mistress and Soletrader in the UK.

Insight Report | July 9, 2020 Premium

Retail M&A Deals Unravel in the Wake of the Coronavirus Crisis

We are seeing a slew of companies reassess M&A deals in the context of Covid-19 impacts on sellers’ revenues, cash flow and liquidity. We explore the recent breakdown of such deals across a number of retail sectors—including retail real estate, luxury, apparel and grocery.

Market Navigators/Market Outlook | July 9, 2020 Premium

US Department Stores: Post-Crisis Outlook

We explore the impacts of the coronavirus crisis on the US department-store sector and present an outlook for the remainder of 2020. This report also highlights technology innovators that may support the sector moving forward. We summarize our key estimates for 2020 and beyond in an infographic.

Insight Report | July 7, 2020 Premium

H&M and Inditex Change Course, Closing Stores To Focus More on E-Commerce

H&M and Inditex (owner of Zara), the world’s two biggest clothing specialist retailers, have announced plans to close a greater number of stores in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. For H&M, 2020 will be the first year for many years that it will see a reduction in total store numbers. We look at their plans and explore the implications.

Flash Report | July 7, 2020

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Retail 2020: 10 Trends in Global Retail—Post-Crisis Update

We provide an update on our global retail trends for 2020 in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Retail will see impacts as companies prepare for a socially distanced “mask economy,” while supply chains will be impacted and some retail sectors will see lingering effects from the Covid-19 outbreak.