Fitness centers like 24 Hour Fitness are filling vacant spaces in shopping centers No longer the 90-pound weakling of the commercial real-estate market, fitness centers are muscling into prime shopping space ceded by traditional retailers. “We have a joke in our industry that the way you know a shopping center is in trouble is if […]

Shadow Closures Many chains aren’t following through on store-closing announcements Those pesky e-mails with “warning!” in the subject line might be dubious, but they do offer clues about the prevailing zeitgeist. Two years ago many of these 21st-century chain letters warned of an impending tsunami of store closures and urged worrywarts to steer clear of […]

10 Things Your Jeweler Won’t Tell You 1. “Our prices are on the rise.” After increasing 23% in 2009, the price per ounce of gold this year has dipped slightly and is hovering around $1,100. With investors continuing to seek safety in this precious metal, it’s a bad time for consumers to buy gold, says […]

Tilly’s Secret Some retailers are doing just fine these days, thanks — recession or no. Tilly’s, a lifestyle apparel chain of 111 stores is among these, even if its owner is a bit coy about the reasons. “I’m smiling because if I told you why, everybody would do it,” said Hezy Shaked, founder and CEO […]

10 Things Retailers Won’t Tell You 1. “Forget commissions. Our staff gets kickbacks.” Next time a salesperson gets overly pushy when promoting a product to you, think twice about their motives. Sometimes clerks have hidden agendas you might not know about. Consider the “promotion incentive fee,” which is a selling incentive that leads sales staff […]

Swayed by changing consumer patterns, more retailers eye outlets Retailers’ view of outlet centers has also shifted in recent years, Credit Suisse analysts note. In the past, retailers used outlet stores primarily for getting rid of excess inventory. Today, they have “become more of a pure-play specialty channel that has many of the best brands, […]