Spring is upon us. Shoppers are emerging from their homes and venturing onto Main Street in search of fresh air, and of course, some fresh retail finds. There’s no time like the present to do some spring-cleaning on your window displays. An appealing storefront is critical for catching the eye of passers-by. And, once you […]
Retail News
7 Tips for Opening a Second Storefront
If you can’t keep your products on the shelves, have lines out the door, or otherwise can’t keep up with your customer demand, it may be time to open a second storefront. You want to replicate the smashing success of your first store. But, there are a few key things to keep in mind when […]
The Market at Macy’s: Too Good to be True for Indie Brands?
The Market @ Macy’s is a pop-up shop within a dozen of Macy’s biggest stores nationwide. A pop-in, if you will. The Market @ Macy’s debuted in early 2018 and features a variety of both up-and-coming and established brands. For the most part, the specific products displayed at each market are unique to that particular […]
A Look Ahead: 2019 Retail Predictions
2018 was a wild year for retail. Just a few years after the “Retail Apocalypse”, brick and mortar retail is experiencing a “Retail Renaissance” with more and more online brands opening popular physical storefronts. This complete 180 has turned much of the narrative around ecommerce replacing traditional retail on its head. Increasing competition from startups […]
Ethical Purchases Drive Sales
by Jasmine Glasheen Next-generation consumers are taking over the world. Millennials will outnumber Boomers in 2019, but not for long: by 2020, there will be even more Gen Z customers than Millennials. Young consumers are growing both in buying power and in number, and they made a big impression on retailers’ bottom lines this past […]
Then & Now: A Look Back at our 2018 Retail Predictions
This time last year, we simply asked: “What’s next?” And many retail industry leaders provided detailed projections. We also dabbled in providing our own predictions on what would happen in retail throughout 2018. Some of our predictions were right on the money. Others… not so much. Let’s take a look at what we thought would […]
Brick and Mortar Purchases Account for 83% of Holiday Spending
This holiday season, mobile may have stolen the headlines, but brick and mortar stores continue to steal the sales. Online shopping during the holiday season approached $125 billion. But, according to Adobe, 83 percent of holiday shopping was done in-store. What may come as a surprise is that Millennial and Gen Z shoppers are leading […]
2019 Retail Predictions
Every year, Independent Retailer turns to the experts and asks “What’s Next?” Read on for industry expert takes on challenges retailers will face in 2019, where retailers should focus their energy, how to shake things up this year, and what to prioritize. What will be the biggest challenges retailers face in 2019? Are these […]
CloseoutCentral.com Launches Expanded Buyer Resources
In response to wholesale and closeout buyer demand, Sumner Communications has launched an all-new and updated design to its’ closeout buyer focused website, www.CloseoutCentral.com. Fully mobile enabled and operating on the latest secure socket platform (https), the new site design allows independent retailers of every size to easily browse the new daily selections posted and […]
Consumers Will Spend 4.1 Percent More Than Last Year During Winter Holidays
Consumers say they will spend an average of $1,007.24 during the holiday season this year, up 4.1 percent from the $967.13 they said they would spend last year, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. “The holidays are just around the corner and consumers are […]
