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Tag: retail stores

  • Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade For TV Only, Says CEO

    Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade For TV Only, Says CEO

    “The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is not going to be a live event but it’s all going to be filmed live,” says Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette. “It’s going to be filmed over a two-day window. It’s got the floats, it’s got the balloons, but the talent is different. We are really excited about having a great Thanksgiving Day Parade for America this year. It’s just going to be different but it will be going without a hitch.”

    Jeff Gennette, Chairman and CEO of Macy’s, says that the iconic 2020 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be happening over two days but without a live audience:

    Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Is Happening

    When you think about Macy’s you think about we’re pillars of the communities that we are a part of. We take great pride in that. That’s in our DNA. When you look at what we do to give back and what we’re doing with all of our donations, what we’re doing for meals on wheels with food instability right now, those are things that we’re really proud of. We’re in that with our customers raising millions of dollars for communities in need. If there ever was a time where we need to give thanks it is right now.

    For Thanksgiving, we had kind of a dress rehearsal where we did the fireworks. We did the fireworks and we did it in a way that was safe for people who are living in New York City. Expect the same thing with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It’s not going to be a live event but it’s all going to be filmed live. It’s going to be filmed over a two-day window. It’s got the floats, it’s got the balloons, but the talent is different. All the people that were ready to come, the marching bands, the cheer squads that were coming in for 2020, we’ve given them a pass and they’re coming back for 2021. We’re backfilling with other entertainment.

    We are really excited about having a great Thanksgiving Day Parade for America this year. It’s just going to be different but it will be going without a hitch.

    Being An Omnichannel Retailer Gives Us An Advantage

    Is back to school shopping a prequel to how holiday shopping will be? We’re all looking at how’s the traffic going to be between Thanksgiving and Christmas or Hanukkah? How should we expect that? We’re all looking for whatever comes our way. We’ve all got A-B-C. alternatives. We call it the 2020 options because whatever comes our way we have to have flexibility. What I’m expecting is that holiday traffic is going to start much earlier. More than ever, customers want to have a great gift that they either put under the tree or they give in a treasured box.

    To make sure that we have that ready for customers no matter when they want to shop we’re pulling the calendar to start addressing those great values at the beginning of November. We’re going to be ready for the customer, for those that want to shop after Thanksgiving. Being an omnichannel retailer, we’re going to have a great advantage to be able to deliver it the day before Christmas by same-day delivery or them coming to a store and through the safety of curbside being able to pick up that great value.

    Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade For TV Only, Says CEO Jeff Gennette
  • Sony To Shut Down 20 Of Its U.S. Retail Stores

    Sony To Shut Down 20 Of Its U.S. Retail Stores

    Electronics giants operating their own retail stores has always been a weird proposition. Apple made it work by offering a retail experience that you just can’t find anywhere else, but others haven’t been so successful. Sony is one of those companies, and now its US retail presence is getting decimated.

    Sony announced this week that it will be shutting down 20 of its 31 U.S. retail stores this year. The stores being closed are in areas that you wouldn’t expect to see Sony stores in the first place – like Virginia and Pennsylvania. Those that will remain open are primarily located in California and New York with two locations in Florida and one location in Texas remaining open as well.

    “While these moves were extremely tough, they were absolutely necessary to position us in the best possible place for future growth,” said Mike Fasulo, President and COO of Sony Electronics. “I am entirely confident in our ability to turn the business around, in achieving our preferred future, and continue building on our flawless commitment to customer loyalty through the complete entertainment experience only Sony can offer.”

    Here’s the full list of stores being closed:

    Tysons, VA
    University Village, WA
    Galleria Dallas, TX
    Forum Shops, NV
    Pentagon, VA
    Boca Raton, FL
    Menlo Park, NJ
    Las Americas, CA
    Camarillo, CA
    Aurora, IL
    Gilroy, CA
    Wrentham, MA
    Pleasant Prairie, WI
    San Marcos, TX
    Cherry Creek, CO
    Dolphin, FL
    Century City, CA
    Valley Fair, CA
    Comcast, PA
    Central Valley, N.Y. (Woodbury Common Outlets)

    Alongside the announcement of the above store closings, Sony also announced that it will be laying off 1,000 employees by the end of the year. These 1,000 employees are part of the original 5,000 employees that Sony previously announced it would be laying off. There’s no word yet on when the other 4,000 will be getting the axe or which parts of the company they’ll come from.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • J.C. Penney Announces The Closing of 33 Stores Nationwide, Cuts 2,000 Jobs

    On Wednesday, Jan. 15 the J.C. Penney Company, Inc. announced that it would be closing a total of 33 stores across the United States.

    In a brief press release earlier today, the ailing retail chain stated that the executive order was made as apart of the company’s ‘turnaround effort’ to focus its attention on opportunities with the highest growth potential. The 33 stores that have been selected for closure are categorized as underperforming locations.

    The store closures are projected to assist the retailer with retaining substantial profitability, with an annual cost savings of approximately $65 million. The company also projects to incur approximately $26 million in pre-tax charges for the fourth quarter of the 2013 fiscal year, and $17 million for future quarters thereafter.

    It was also stated that the store closures will eliminate approximately 2,000 jobs. However, eligible associates who ultimately end up leaving the company will receive a separation benefits package.

    J.C. Penney’s chief executive officer Myron Ullman III also issued a statement of address in regards to the announcement. “As we continue to progress toward long-term profitable growth, it is necessary to reexamine the financial performance of our store portfolio and adjust our national footprint accordingly,” said Ullman.

     “While it’s always difficult to make a business decision that impacts our valued customers and associates, this important step addresses a strategic priority to improve the profitability of our stores and position JCPenney for future success.”

    According to CNN Money, last year was financially daunting for the mid-range department store. The company has reportedly suffered a staggering stock plunge of approximately 60% over the past 12 months, with a deficit amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars per quarter.

    The company’s press release also included an official list of the stores that will be closing.

    J.C. Penney’s announcement comes just one week after Macy’s announced that it would be closing five stores, and laying off 2,500 workers.

    Image via Facebook | JCPenney

  • Microsoft Opening Five More Retail Stores By Summer

    Microsoft Opening Five More Retail Stores By Summer

    Finding certain Windows devices at traditional retail outlets can be a bit of pain sometimes. Stores like Best Buy or Staples usually only carry one device without a lot of options. Microsoft rectified this problem by opening retail locations across the nation, and is now working on expanding that presence to even more cities.

    Microsoft announced today that it intends to open five more retail stores by summer. The following cities will play host to these new retail locations:

  • Natick Mall, Natick, Massachusetts
  • Ala Moana Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
  • Pioneer Place, Portland, Oregon
  • The Somerset Collection, Troy, Michigan
  • Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, Illinois
  • These five stores join the six stores that were announced late last year. On top of that, there are already over 50 existing retail stores and a few smaller specialty stores that have sprung up over the past few years.

    Microsoft seems to be expanding its retail presence in line with its expansion as a hardware manufacturer. The Surface Pro tablet/ultrabook hybrid will be launching on February 9. Sure, it will be available at other retail locations like Best Buy and Staples, but the best selection of accessories and other items will only be available at Microsoft retail stores.

    Unfortunately, Microsoft still has not expanded its retail presence past North American borders. It did finally open its first few Canadian stores in 2012, but it hasn’t expanded around the world like Apple has. We might finally see some international expansion in 2013, however, as Microsoft moves to produce more of its own hardware, like the oft rumored Microsoft-built Windows Phone.

  • Google To Open Retail Store In Dublin

    Google To Open Retail Store In Dublin

    If Apple and Amazon can do it, so can Google. The search giant is opening a retail store at its Dublin headquarters after a trial run in London.

    The Google store would sell, you guessed it, Google merchandise. What kind of Google merchandise? That has yet to be revealed, but you can bet Google t-shirts will be available.

    The store will be located in the Montevetro office block on Dublin’s Barrow Street. The store would have about 1,323 square feet, or 123 square meters for those who will actually be shopping there, with an added mezzanine floor to attract street traffic.

    Bloomberg figures that Google is moving to retail in light of the company’s plans to acquire Motorola. It would help the search giant compete with Apple in both the retail and smartphone space.

    Google has been testing the concept of a retail store in London since last October. They opened a store inside PC World where they sold laptops running the company’s custom Chromebook operating system.

    The company has a store at its California headquarters that sells merchandise, but that’s not open to the public. Of course, they also have an online store where they sell Google and YouTube merchandise.

    Google’s Dublin office was a prime location as its the company’s second largest headquarters in the world. The company bought the two buildings that made up its current headquarters last March while leasing two other properties in the area. The Montevetro area that will house the retail store was bought last April for €100 million. Google will also expand its employee force to over 3,000 once everything is said and done.

    It remains to be seen if Google will succeed in this venture, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

    UPDATE: Google has told Marketing Land that they are not opening a public retail store in Dublin. Google said that the space within their Dublin office could be used as a retail space. It makes it similar to the Google employee-only store that is currently at their main headquarters in California.