NRF news and archive

NRF: Shoplifting figures see sharp increase on pre-Covid levels

A new report by the US’ National Retail Federation (NRF) has documented a concerning increase in shoplifting incidents in 2023 compared to that of pre-Covid levels. According to the organisation’s ‘The Impact of Retail Theft & Violence 2024’ study, there was a 93 percent increase in the average number of reported shoplifting incidents last year...

Fashion Featured

6 macro themes that will reshape our industry by 2026

Fashion used to be a PEST - that is, influenced by Politics, Economics, Society and Tech. Speaking at this month’s NRF conference, WGSN’s VP Consumer Insights, Andrea Bell, delivered a forward-thinking overview of the industry entitled, “Global Forces Shaping the Retail Business Landscape” that elaborated on the acronym created by Harvard...

RetailFeatured

Brand leaders from Saks, Glossier, Crocs describe how to be cool

What is cool? Can a brand cultivate an aura of cool through strategy? These are questions that C-Suites everywhere must grapple with as the gap between heritage brands and digitally native consumers only widens. At the National Retail Federation expo this month, leaders from companies as diverse as Glossier, Crocs, Claire's, and Saks all...

Fashion Featured

The most exciting tech innovations from National Retail Federation’s 2024 expo

Coming to a store near you, the dynamic solutions that elicited the most excitement at this year’s expo will change how we shop, staff and even operate brick and mortar locations and e-commerce sites. Technology has been transforming the retail sector at warped speed even since last year's NRF, and these innovations are set to become commonplace...

RetailFeatured

Retail experts predict a record-breaking holiday sales season

Forecasts by the National Retail Federation for this holiday season is that spending will reach record levels, with growth of between 3 and 4 percent over 2022, for a final result of between 957.3 and 966.6 billion dollars. According to NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay, sales will more than match pre-pandemic levels due to the economic...

Business

NRF says US imports to remain lower than 2022 levels

The National Retail Federation (NRF) has said that it is expecting US imports to remain “well below” last year’s levels in 2023 as demand continues to falter in the region. This is according to research carried out by the organisation and Hackett Associates, which collaborated on the Global Port Tracker report for 2023. While levels are still...

FairsFeatured

5 Ones to Watch: Industry disrupters that stood out at NRF

The NRF 2023, Retail’s Big Show, which enjoyed pre-pandemic attendance figures is over for another year. The out-of-towners have all flown home, the Javits Center is emptied of booths and exhibitors, and those reporting on the latest innovations are examining their notes and asking themselves, What stood out? From over 1000 exhibitors...

RetailFeatured

6 latest retail innovations to ensure frictionless customer experience

The plateauing of the e-commerce boom is set to continue making an omnichannel strategy vital for retailers. Brick and mortar stores will get a leg up as a result but nowadays stores and can do more with less. The latest technology is designed to ensure that the transition between customer’s online and in-store shopping experience is seamless....

RetailFeatured

Retailers focus for 2023: Reaping the fruits of their tech investments and championing customer loyalty

After a couple of years dominated by uncertainty, apparel retailers have a clear path of action: 2023 is the year to reap the fruits of their investments in AR, AI, and other tech to champion customer loyalty. Earlier this week, the who is who of the retail industry met at the US largest trade event of the year to debate whereas that sought...

Retail

NRF raises 3.22 million dollars to fund programmes supporting future retail leaders

The National Retail Federation (NRF) has raised 3.22 million dollars at its seventh annual NRF Foundation Honors, an event to raise funds for the organisation’s programmes supporting careers in retail. Set at the Marriott Marquis Times Square, the event was co-hosted by Macy’s chairman and CEO, Jeff Gennette, and former Qurate Retail president...

Business|ANALYSIS Featured

From policy abuse to friendly fraud: Retailers face billions in revenue loss

As consumers and brands alike settle into the new ways of commerce, businesses have been facing a rising volume of fraudulent activities. From account takeover to policy abuse, to chargeback and friendly fraud, retailers are looking for ways to mitigate different types of fraud costing them billions in revenue annually. Whenever a customer asks...

Fairs

Handheld aims to improve shipping efficiency

In this world of e-commerce, there is nothing more imperative to retailers than shipment. Handheld is helping make the shipping process more seamless using their new SP500X ScanPrinter. The device is currently the only device of its kind that allows workers to scan a barcode with one swipe and with the next swipe prints information (like which...