Tag Archives: retail

Here’s the trailer for the upcoming DVD release of the documentary about the demise of music retail, I Need That Record. Featuring discussion and commentary by THURSTON MOORE of Sonic Youth, IAN MACKAYE of Dischord Records Fugazi/Minor Threat, activist/author NOAM CHOMSKY, MIKE WATT of the Minutemen, LENNY KAYEguitarist of the Patti Smith Group, CHRIS FRANTZ of the Talking Heads/Tom Tom …

Madonna and her daughter are launching a line of children’s clothing at Macy’s. Madonna and her 13 year-old daughter Lourdes are lending a little star power to Macy’s. The two are designing a line called Material Girl that will appear exclusively at the retailer this back-to-school season. The line, described as a “fast-fashion, junior collection,” will hit shelves in 200 …

Today Walgreens will announce its purchase of Duane Reade, the massive NYC-based drugstore chain with hundreds of outlets in the five boroughs. Walgreen, one of the nation’s biggest drugstore operators, said it would pay about $623 million for Duane Reade Holdings Inc. Including $457 million in debt held by Duane Reade, the transaction is valued at $1.08 billion. Duane Reade, …

In full realization of how very cliched this post is, I must nevertheless denounce the Sales Prevention Team at the Best Buy on East 86th Street for the most aggravating purchase experience I’ve ever had. I can totally say without hyperbole that that place is a million times worse than Hitler. As I was told, because of “the shrink”, one …

Trader Joe’s will be opening a new store in the years-empty former Castro location of Tower Records. Pending approval of traffic studies and other permits, residents can expect the grocery store known for its specialty items and low prices to open its doors by next year. This will be the fifth Trader Joe’s in San Francisco. The store will have …

For the last decade New Yorkers have bemoaned the Disneyfication of Times Square with its mall chain restaurants, its themed nightclubs, and its now well-scrubbed and well-fed middle American patrons. And with the below news, the Disneyfication of Times Square has become complete and literal. Disney is going theme park with its new Times Square retail store. Perhaps trying to …

I don’t know what I was thinking.

So who’s out there today? Anybody at work? Or are you all doing the Black Friday thing?

Saying they are going on “good faith” that a coming ad from Gap properly acknowledges Christmas, the American Family Association is suspending their boycott of the company’s three retail chains. But only until they see the commercial. Via press release: According to Bill Chandler, vice-president of Gap corporate communications, Gap’s Old Navy division will launch a new television commercial this …

While cities around the country try to beef up this week’s Black Friday (traditionally the #1 retail sales day of the year) by granting temporary suspensions of sales tax on clothing or other goods, the state of South Carolina will let you buy GUNS tax-free. Via NY Daily News: The great state of South Carolina is putting its own sick …

After last week announcing a boycott of all stores under the GAP umbrella because its three chains don’t use the word “Christmas” in their holiday ads, this weekend the American Family Association published an expanded list of national retailers “for and against Christmas.” Based on current advertising, below is a list of companies that avoid, ban, or use the term …

Manhattan gets it first taste of mega-box retailing today with the opening of the massive East River Plaza mall on FDR Drive in East Harlem. Anchor tenant Costco’s 110,000 square foot store is open as of this morning, coming in the next few months will be the long panted-over Target, as well as other jumbo retailers at the 500,000 square …

A Wal-Mart in rural Indiana detained two gay attorneys and their two adopted special needs sons and then banned them from patronizing any store in the chain, even though video records proved that the couple had not shoplifted the packages of Bic lighters that employees claimed they had. One of the men had used the store’s self-checkout lane and security …

As I mentioned here many months ago, NYC’s notorious Limelight nightclub, the disco that brought the world club kids and the occasional decapitated drug dealer, is being transformed into an “upscale” mini-mall. Yesterday the Daily News updated us on the process. Even Jesus is for sale at the new Limelight Marketplace. The former Chelsea church that became one of the …

According to the second annual report from the Center For An Urban Future, the economic downturn has not hurt the number of national chain franchises in New York City, with 53 chains adding a total of 310 outlets and 62 chains closing 245 stores over the last 12 months. The most common stores in the five boroughs: 1. Dunkin’ Donuts …

Barney’s, who is arguably Gotham’s most famed fancy clothier, hurriedly removed their latest window displays after customers and passers-by objected to scenes depicting female mannequins being strafed by bullets. Simon Doonan, creative director of Barneys, said the displays were installed while he was away overseeing advertising shoots and that he had ordered them dismantled. They were taken down shortly after …

After a security guard was trampled to death by an unruly mob stampeding the entrance of a Long Island Wal-Mart, many called for the criminal prosecution of the company for staging the pre-dawn “doorbuster” holiday sales event with little security. Yesterday the company evaded charges. Mega-retailer Wal-Mart will avoid criminal prosecution for its role in the fatal post- Thanksgiving Day …

Via Flowing Data, watch Wal-Mart spread across the nation like a virus. Creepy. And the Agent Smith voiceover added by this YouTuber is rather apt. Full-screen original version here. Probably less creepy, but still fascinating is the Target version.

Just two months after they announced the closure of selected locations around the country, today Circuit City says that they are closing down the entire chain. Circuit City Stores Inc., the bankrupt consumer-electronics retailer, named four liquidators to sell the remaining merchandise in 567 U.S. stores before it goes out of business. Liquidators Great American Group WF LLC; Hudson Capital …

New York Magazine reports that Urban Outfitters suddenly pulled their line of t-shirts that support marriage equality, possibly because the company’s owner is an anti-gay right-wing tool who gives generously to GOP candidates and causes. A buyer cited the reason as “too much bad press” to Littman [the shirt’s creator], though the designer couldn’t find more than one blog entry …