A seismic change in the way Americans are shopping is affecting everything from how, when and where they make purchases to whether they pay with credit cards or mobile clicks. The transformation is rocking retail and shipping and rippling through real estate, banking and tech.
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Category Archives: RETAIL
New orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods fell in February as the sector continued to struggle with the lingering effects of a robust dollar and lower oil prices. While other data on Thursday showed an increase in the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits last week, revisions to the prior weeks’ figures showed the labor market was much stronger than previously thought.
At the swanky Prudential Center in the heart of Boston’s shopping district, the Yogasmoga boutique stands out for its sparse, minimalist aesthetic. At the entrance, there is a large white orchid on a table surrounded by neatly folded tank tops and yoga pants known for their high-tech fabrics. Soothing, Eastern-inspired music is piped in, giving the space a peaceful ambiance.
Technology-themed sessions were in abundance at Chain Store Age’s 52nd annual SPECS conference, which was held March 13-15 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. The conference focuses on store planning/design, equipment, construction and facility services, and IT is slowly but surely becoming a much bigger part of this end of the retail enterprise.
Amazon Fulfillment Services and Air Transport Services Group announced an agreement to operate an air cargo network serving Amazon customers in the U.S.
The sporting goods industry is in a funk. Less than a week after the Sports Authority Inc. filed for bankruptcy, rival Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. on Tuesday reported weak holiday results and offered a dim near-term outlook as it spends more to revamp stores and build up its website.
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Forced to reckon with a prolonged period of low energy prices, oil chiefs at the annual IHS CERAWeek energy gathering sought to portray themselves as steely survivors in an industry grappling with spending cuts and asset sales.
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Washington state suffered an economic impact of $769.5 million due to labor disruptions at West Coast ports this past year, according to one of the most detailed analyses of the impact of a labor disruption on U.S. business and industry.
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Intermodal continues to carry the day for the North American freight railroad industry, registering a gain of nearly 20% for the week ending Feb. 20, 2016, the third consecutive week of double-digit growth, compared to the prior-year period, and offsetting weak carload traffic—which includes a sharp drop in crude oil.
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) yesterday unveiled a new installment of its “Freight Rail Works” campaign, which highlights the role freight railroads play in the national economy. The 2016 campaign explains the amount of freight — from cars to consumer goods to large-scale industrial materials — moved every year for each American, according to an AAR press release.