The Retail Focus Podcast

Retail Focus 9/28/16 – Finish Line Continues Hot Streak, Vineyard Vines Leaf Out

Finish Line releases more strong earnings, and we ponder where the company can improve on last year’s dismal third quarter. Additionally, Vineyard Vines continues to open additional retail stores (and outlets) in the U.S., Target ends their “kiddie cart” pilot, and the major brick-and-mortar office supply retailers make moves.

Retail Focus 9/21/16 – Yet More Kmart Closures, Lidl Announces U.S. Expansion Plans

Sears Holdings moves to close around 7% of their remaining Kmart stores by next January, and we go beyond the headlines to diagnose what this could mean for the company and their REIT. We explore whether or not there is room in the U.S. grocery market for Lidl, seasonal hiring for Kohl’s, and future prospects for Ascena Retail Group after an earnings miss.

Retail Focus 9/14/16 – Reading Into Kroger’s Earnings, Target Pilots Cartwheel Rewards

Kroger’s quarterly earnings brought about a slew of news takes on the grocery industry…we explore what the statement means for the grocery giant.  We also glance at a new e-commerce study, Target’s Cartwheel reward program pilot, and BJ’s rolling out a store pickup option for their e-commerce customers.

Retail Focus 9/7/16 – Updates from Fashion Retailers, Holistic Digital Marketing in Retail

We check in north of the border with Dollarama’s solid quarterly results, and then jaunt around the world of fashion, discussing Chico’s strong potential, Lululemon’s slowing growth, and news from mall retailers The Buckle and Aeropostale. Our guest is retail marketing consultant Kaleb Clark, who talks about holistic digital retail marketing approaches in his quarterly appearance.

Retail Focus 8/31/16 - Sears Continues Downward Spiral, Dollar Stores Give Mixed Results

After a steep decline in year-over-year second quarter sales, Sears reveals plans to take on more debt to turn things around. Additionally, we explore the world of dollar stores, and why it appears as though Dollar Tree’s place in the market may be more secure than their counterparts. We’ll also talk Amazon’s latest brick-and-mortar plans.