Lauren Thomas

Petco is trying to Amazon-proof its business. Time will tell if the strategy really works. The privately held pet-goods retailer has just opened a new service-focused store that aims to give shoppers something they can’t buy online. A pilot location opened this past Friday in San Marcos, California. Called PetCoach, it offers grooming, training, veterinary care, dog walking and more...

For many, the holidays spark joy, and are a time to relax in the comfort of family and friends. If you’re in retail, however, it’s a bit of a different story — especially if your business is struggling.

If someone asked you when the holiday shopping season starts, you’d likely point to Black Friday, when flocks of people swarm stores after a hearty turkey dinner to pick through the hottest deals. But for more people in 2019, holiday shopping started in July. Why? Amazon. Amazon’s annual Prime Day extravaganza has “become a real part of the changing holiday...

You’ll be able to shop at Toys R Us online again — thanks to a little help from Target. Target announced on Tuesday that it’s partnering with the parent company of the Toys R Us brand, TRU Kids, to help it relaunch ToysRUs.com. The deal will allow Toys R Us to once again have an online presence, post bankruptcy, as...

Target said Monday it will be taking its recently revamped loyalty program, called Target Circle, nationwide beginning Oct. 6. CNBC had reported back in February that Target was piloting the program, which includes new perks like a birthday reward, in five markets – including in Charlotte, North Carolina, and in Phoenix. Prior to that, Target Circle was being tested more...

Walmart said Tuesday it will discontinue all sales of handgun ammunition and sales of short-barrel rifle ammunition that can be used with military-style weapons, following two “horrific” shootings at Walmart stores this summer. It will also stop all handgun sales in Alaska, marking its complete exit from the handguns category.

Walmart’s latest quarterly earnings report just revealed how the biggest retailer in the world is being even more aggressive in order to take on Amazon. In the midst of a trade war between the U.S. and China, and in the wake of two deadly shootings at Walmart stores, everyone is tuned in to what Walmart has to say about tariffs...

Nike is stepping into the subscription business. The No. 1 sneaker retailer in the U.S. is launching a subscription service for kids called Nike Adventure Club. It will allow parents to order shoes for their kids ages 2 to 10 either on a quarterly, bimonthly or monthly basis, paying monthly fees of $20, $30 or $50, respectively. The last option...

Like many suburban shopping areas, Overland Park, Kansas, has a Whole Foods grocery store and a Cheesecake Factory. Now, it’s among the first to have a Sears Home & Life store. For five decades, from 1967 to 2017, Sears had presence in the booming town, which is also home to Sprint ‘s headquarters.

Walmart is opening up dozens more veterinary clinics in its stores and launching its first online pet pharmacy, hoping to lure more U.S. pet owners who are spending billions of dollars each year on their dogs and cats. The biggest retailer in the world already operates 21 veterinary clinics in its stores across six states, but over the next 12...

A recent wave of store closure announcements will hit shopping malls across the U.S., leaving hundreds of storefronts empty. Last week, Victoria’s Secret said it will shut around 50 locations in 2019 — when it normally closes closer to a dozen each year; Gap said it’s closing 230 of its namesake brand’s stores over a two-year span; and J.C. Penney...

Target hopes to lure younger shoppers by teaming up with preppy lifestyle brands. In the past, it’s sold exclusive merchandise from clothing company Lilly Pulitzer, shoe retailer Toms and rain boot brand Hunter. On Thursday, Target announced it will be teaming up with Vineyard Vines, best known for its shirts embellished with a logo of a smiling pink whale.

Target on Thursday said it will open its doors earlier on Thanksgiving this year, as it expects throngs of shoppers to head to its stores across the U.S. after an early turkey dinner to shop its deals. The retailer will open at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving and close at 1 a.m., then reopen on Black Friday at 7 a.m. Last...

Gap Inc. is considering shutting hundreds of its namesake stores at shopping malls as sales at the Gap brand continue to slide. The retailer said Tuesday evening that it still has 775 Gap-branded stores globally, in addition to those under the Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta banners.

This could be the most crucial holiday season in Barnes & Noble ‘s history. Its sales have been in a decline for six years as the bookseller cedes market share to Amazon and consumers turn to their phones or portable tablets instead of books. There’s been a revolving door in the retailer’s C-suite, and activist investors have piled on.

Target has been busy upgrading its supply chain, and this holiday season marks its biggest test yet. Early last year, the retailer said it would pour $7 billion into investments to turn around its business over the next three years. A portion went into bulking up its delivery options — making it more convenient for people to shop in Target...

Retailers appear to have the odds in their favor this holiday season, with record-low unemployment across the U.S., strong consumer confidence and building sales momentum so far in 2018. “We think most retailers will have a good holiday season if they have a distinctive value proposition,” Rod Sides, vice chairman of Deloitte’s U.S. retail and distribution practice, told CNBC. “We...