All Retail Articles
  • Metals Thoughts: The chain

    Brad Yates Natural Resources

    ​Gold and silver have generally held their respective ranges since we last discussed and don't show much to encourage that the barriers will change anytime immediately. In many aspects, we have seen some healthy resetting of the table and a few of the things I would look for as encouraging have surfaced, but the supply-demand balance for physical is still worrying.

  • There’s no magic number when it comes to jobs and the economy

    Paul Zukowski Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    I can sense continuing excitement brewing among those, including me, who watch economic statistics like they were some sort of Olympic event. Why are the numbers creating excitement, you may ask? Because — hold onto your hats — the monthly new-jobs-created figure hit 255,000 for July!

  • Chip and Joanna Gaines: Build your business around…

    Brie Ragland Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    A packed auditorium of home builders and industry members eagerly awaited the arrival of the Sunbelt Builders Show opening session leaders, Chip and Joanna Gaines, Wednesday morning at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center.

  • Is a refrigeration revolution in the air?

    Andrew Gaved Manufacturing

    It is not too often that the world of supermarket refrigeration has played host to major technological change. Apart from the debate over whether chiller cases should have doors on them, recent years have been more about evolution than revolution. But now, retailer Asda, part of the global giant Wal-Mart, has signaled what could be one of the most radical changes in modern retail refrigeration by opting to replace conventional display cases cooled by piped refrigerant with versions cooled by air from a central plant.

  • Consumers want an experience. Do you offer one?

    Danielle Manley Retail

    Retailers now have the task of selling to consumers who don’t "seem to enjoy purchasing things," according to Fast Company. In the past, people enjoyed purchasing luxury items. Buying luxury items in and of itself was the experience shoppers desired. However, this has become "boring" and doesn’t bring the excitement today’s consumer desires. What do consumers want? What will make them your customer? Give them an experience.

  • Metals Thoughts: Two-legged stool

    Brad Yates Natural Resources

    Gold and silver are hanging somewhat precariously with some of the recent extreme momentum having come off a bit, and both the ETFs and futures markets turning into slight net sellers. I can make an argument either that it’s a respite for another leg higher (prices haven’t collapsed despite spec redux), or that we have a long way to go should buying support not emerge. I think the headlines, largely from central banks will be the determinants here, and all eyes are on the Fed in particular to see how they respond to the two incredibly noisy jobs reports we have seen recently.

  • Is America ready for zero-waste grocery stores?

    Bambi Majumdar Waste Management & Environmental

    Conservation is the key to helping the planet, and unless we actively combat waste we cannot lessen the terrible burden our planet is under. The concept of the zero-waste grocery store has spread across Europe quickly, and now it's finally set to debut here in the United States.

  • The importance of time, timelines and timing with your commercial lease

    Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield Retail

    The commercial leasing process can take differing amounts of time, depending on whether you're opening your first or fifth business location. You can discover a lot during your first few lease deals that you can carry forward — potentially saving you both time and money with further leasing projects.

  • 7 steps to conflict resolution in the office

    Deborah Ike Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    ​For some reason, when we start to work at an office, we unconsciously expect everyone to get along and not have any conflict. That idea tends to be proven false fairly quickly. Whatever conflicts you've experienced, the tension and resulting lack of cooperation can keep the team from being as effective as possible.

  • 3 lessons your business can learn from Pokemon Go’s success

    Ross Lancaster Science & Technology

    Of all the world's companies that produce, develop or market video games or video game consoles, none is more iconic than Nintendo. Originally founded as a playing card company in Japan in 1889, the company became a worldwide household name beginning in the 1980s, with the introduction of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).