What:  Hudson's Bay department store will separate its store fleet and e-commerce business into two separate businesses, accelerating its digital-first transformation.

Why it is important:  Just as Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks Off Fifth, Hudson’s Bay has decided to also split the physical and online businesses.

The two entities of the business with still work collaboratively in certain areas, but it seems that HBC’s retailers see value in splitting their businesses. Although the motivation to split the operations is unknown, it could be that the separate entities could be more attractive to varying levels of funding, which has already been seen for Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks Off Fifth.

Hudson's Bay to split its e-commerce, store operations 

What: The department store unveiled two new spaces dedicated to sneakers, one located in the men's section on the basement, and the other one for women on the second floor (women’s shoe and luxury RTW floor).

Why it is important: With the massive casualization started even before Covid, sneakers are a key part of the shoe business. Galeries Lafayette also recently unveiled a significant sneakers section within its new women’s shoe floor.

The women’s offer mixes brands such as Converse, Nike or New Balance and young labels. A corner is dedicated to the eco-responsible, vegan or recycled sneakers, with brands such as Amrose, New Lab and Caval. The sustainable brand Allbirds has installed a four-month pop-up in which it presents its collection made from merino wool, FSC-certified eucalyptus and sugar cane.

The men’s sneakers space is 250 sqm and gathers a selection of international designers such as Givenchy and Margiela, and creative labels such as National Standard and Filling Pieces. New models, exclusive collaborations and drops will also be presented. Presented by, a reference in streetwear and collector's sneakers, also offers rare pieces in limited editions. A 22 sqm pop-up store will highlight new labels.

Le-Bon-Marche-Rive-Gauche highlights sneakers

What: Former Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées’ managing director Nadia Dhouib shares experience and advice.

Why is it important: The shift to virtual communications during lockdown presents an opportunity for retailers to deepen their customer relationships, Dhouib says.

When Galeries Lafayette opened in 2019, many features it introduced were fairly new to French retail. The store was designed to reflect the way people shop online, with products grouped by styles and trends, instead of brands, and a staff of 300 “personal stylists,” recruited via Instagram, acting as a mixture of style and trend experts, cultural influencers and high-end hotel concierges.

Since leaving her job as managing director of Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées in May 2020, after a 15-year career at Galeries Lafayette Group, she has founded her own retail consultancy, Rethinkretail Advisory, which helps brands, investors and start-ups in the retail and fashion industries to transform and develop new business models.

As repeated store closures have accelerated the migration of customers online, she recommends that retailers capitalize on the virtual customer relationships they were forced to develop during lockdown and double down on memorable experiences. Retail today is competing with: ‘Do I go to a restaurant or an art gallery, or hang out with friends?’” Dhouib says. “The stores that succeed are the ones that can recreate that feeling.”

She’s a little over ready-made Instagram corners. “I think people are past that now. They’ve become so expert at getting the shot, they don’t need you to set it up for them,” Dhouib reasoned.

One thing she doesn’t see going away is the trend for sales associates to act as personal shoppers. “A couple of years ago, people thought that if a sales adviser sent them a message, it was intrusive. Today, it’s become the norm. So the question is, how do you transform that and professionalize it so that this trend doesn’t fade away?” she asked. “This might also be an opportunity for retailers to give their teams both a framework, but also a certain amount of freedom,” she added. “It’s important to empower sales associates to make them enjoy what they do.”

It’s important to tailor the content and frequency of the messages to the target audience. “Knowing how often to contact your customer is a real balancing act. I would try to work on software that helps you to calculate how many messages on average a person is willing to receive.”

Going forward, Dhouib sees technology playing an ever bigger role in stores. She foresees more cashier-less stores where you scan your card at the entrance, and items are automatically deducted. Dhouib also expects growing use of facial recognition to secure payments and forecast foot traffic in stores.

A department store veteran shares vision and advice

What: Gen Z is currently the generation most interested in shopping, but they’re careful about how they spend their money, according to an exclusive survey of 1,300 Vogue and GQ readers ranging from 18 to 65-year-old in the US.

Why it is important: Gen Z seeks out in-store experiences, relevance and newness while shopping. This cohort is engaged with their brands while searching for newness and eager to discover new trends that keep them fashion-forward.

Gen Z is willing to shop across channels, have an appetite for higher-quality items and are eager to stay on top of cultural trends. At the same time, they have some frugal tendencies: 70% of Gen Z said they are monitoring their spending more closely as a result of the pandemic.

Gen Z is a truly omnichannel generation. They are 56% more likely to have shopped for fashion in-store over the last three months and 38% more likely to have shopped online in the same timeframe.

Nike Live stores, digitally fuelled with in-person sports experiences that mirror online preferences of specific neighbourhoods, answer the call. In terms of engagement, Nike reports that these are some of the highest performing doors in Nike's fleet, with 150-200 new destinations set to open globally.

One in five of all respondents have used buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) solutions since the start of the pandemic to buy more expensive, higher-quality products, including 22% of Gen Z respondents.

Gen Z’s frequency of shopping for new items is being disrupted by secondhand, a market that Gen Z respondents are 27% more likely to shop. Gen Z is also trying to balance a desire for reasonable prices with an interest in high-quality products, which is true across both fashion and beauty. BNPL solutions are helping to convert sales. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 123% more Gen Zs have used BNPL than before. In April 2021.

The product most commonly bought throughout the pandemic using BNPL has been shoes. Sneakers are the item that they report willingness to invest in the most. The study confirms that sales of shoes and sneakers saw a 59% uplift from August 2020 to April 2021.

Gen Z shopping trends uncovered 

What: IKEA's shopping malls business has kicked off the sales process for some 500 flats at its first-ever mixed-use retail and residential development in southern China.

Why it is important: With housing, it is testing yet another income leg, banking on the rapid urbanisation in China.

Ingka Centres has 45 malls anchored by IKEA furniture stores across Europe, Russia, and China (under the brand Livat). The company has shifted towards more entertainment and social spaces in its developments as consumers, in China in particular, increasingly shop online while visiting malls more for food or movies.

The Livat Changsha residential building offers flats, common living, and work spaces, designed by IKEA. The hope is to appeal to people working from home. Residents should start moving in by March 2022.

EXCLUSIVE IKEA's malls arm branches out into housing with new centre in China 

What: The partnership marks the beauty company's entry into Canada and is expected to grow over time.

Why it is important: Between HBC and Space NK, it’s a wholesale relationship, which Space NK calls “wholesale-plus.” The Bay buys the products that are sourced by Space NK.

Space NK, the beauty destination found online and in stores in the U.S., the U.K. and Ireland, is entering Canada through a partnership with the Hudson’s Bay Co.

An array of indie, niche and premium brands for skin care, makeup and hair care sourced by Space NK launches today on thebay.com. Space NK shops will appear inside three Hudson’s Bay flagship stores in early October: Yorkdale, Montreal and Vancouver. The Space NK shops-in-shop will range from 550 to 1,000 square feet.

In North America, Space NK currently has shops inside select Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom stores, which have also been shifting to more of a wholesale model, from a concession model with Space NK.

Hudson’s Bay Co. Makes Room for Space NK 

What: The retailer has decided to give bonuses to many of its employees who stay on the job through the year.

Why is it important: Kohl’s and other retailers are challenged by labour shortage, in part due to people preferring to stay home rather than work, government assistance, child care requirements and a sense that wages are too low.

Kohl’s said hourly store, distribution centre and e-commerce fulfilment centre associates will be eligible to receive a bonus ranging from USD 100 to USD 400 for working with the retailer through the holiday season.

Kohl’s also hosted its first nonseasonal hiring event at all of its stores nationwide. The goal was to hire 5,000 associates for both full- and part-time positions. Kohl’s said it offers competitive wages, a weekly pay schedule, flexible schedules, including day, night and weekend shifts, an immediate 15% Kohl’s associate discount.

Kohl’s Sets Bonuses for Employees Who Stay On 

What: Sales dipped 2.9% to GBP 222 million in the 12 months to March 30, 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic began taking its toll on business.

Why is it important: Due to substantial investments in e-commerce and online operations, the retailer’s EBITDA was down 48% to GBP 7.2 million pounds in the period.

The consolidated results pertain to all Harvey Nichols stores in the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland, including the Knightsbridge flagship. The results also include franchise income from the group’s six international stores in Dubai, Riyadh, Kuwait, Doha and Hong Kong, which operate under license.

The group described the 12 months to March 2020 as a “challenging year” due to a variety of factors. Although Harvey Nichols was forced shut in the final weeks of its financial year, the temporary closures, and a lack of international tourists, still took a bite out of sales.

During the 2019-20 fiscal year the company invested further in its IT infrastructure and CRM program, and introduced a Fragrance Room to the Knightsbridge flagship. Harvey Nichols said it would continue to invest in its online channels and stores to ensure that it can drive profitable growth going forward.

In fiscal 2019-20, online sales grew 33% compared with the previous year, and the trend has continued into fiscal 2020-21. Harvey Nichols said online sales grew a further 69% in the 12 months to March 2021.

Harvey Nichols Emerges From Tough Year of COVID-19 Damage, Investment

What: The department store partners with My Wardrobe HQ for a pop-up and an online offer.

Why is it important: Rental is becoming increasingly common, after MYWHQ popping up at Liberty last year and Selfridges offering an in-house rental service as part of its wider Project Earth initiative.

Harrods said the pop-up will stock a “highly curated” edit of formal and event pieces as people return to socialising. The pop-up will be located on Harrods fourth floor and on MWHQ’s own website. Customers also have the option to purchase the pieces.

Alongside rental, Harrods has also introduced after-care and bespoke services designed to prolong the lives of luxury items. Harrods offers a bespoke alterations service, an in-house cobbler at Shoe Heaven on the fifth floor, and also houses The Restory, which specialises in cleaning and repairing accessories.

MWHQ got a publicity boost last month after Carrie Symonds, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s wife, wore a series of rented outfits and accessories to the G7 summit in Cornwall, England.

Harrods Welcomes Fashion Rentals With My Wardrobe HQ Pop-up Shop 

What: Walmart is teaming up with a dedicated chain of clinics to propose chiropractic care in stores

Why it is important:  Health services in stores is a growing trend for retailers to increase their proposal and make sure stores remain at the centre of customer’s lives. Walmart is accelerating fast on that matter.

Walmart is partnering with The Back Space, a chain of retail health care centres, to open in 10 stores health services. Customers will have the possibility to enjoy USD 25 treatments on a walk-in basis, but also through a monthly membership.

The goals of this pilot is to validate customers’ interest for such an offer, before deploying more in case it is successful.

Retailers are increasingly considering health care services in stores (see our Monoprix review , this article on mental health or Walmart telehealth venture) as a way to put stores at the centre of customer’s lives and give reasons to come back often.

Chiropractic Clinics Opening Within Walmart Stores

What: The luxury brand is joining a rush of brands launching their own e-commerce sites in Mexico, including Cartier, Bulgari and Boss.

Why is it important: Louis Vuitton is hoping to profit from growing luxury sales as Latin America’s second-largest economy exits the pandemic.

A wide selection of collections including ready-to-wear for men and women, leather goods, shoes, accessories, travel, fragrances, and jewellery will be available to Mexican customers.

The brand will also offer personalized services such as hot stamping and engraving. Free delivery or store pick up through Click & Collect will be available, including at its flagship store in Mexico City’s.

Louis Vuitton Launches E-commerce Site in Mexico 

What: People will have to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative Covid test to enter shopping centres and restaurants in France starting in August.

Why is it important: The new regulation might have an important impact on traffic and sales, pushing further customers to shop online.

Starting 21 July, people over age 12 will be required to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test to enter concerts, theatres and amusement parks in the country. In August, the requirement will be extended by law to cafés, restaurants, shopping centres, hospitals and retirement homes as well as airplanes, trains and buses for long trips. The government will consider extending the requirement to other activities, depending on how the situation evolves.

Macron also announced that workers in hospitals and retirement homes will be required to get a vaccination by 15 September or face sanctions, which were not specified.

France to Require Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination to Enter Shopping Malls 

What: Farfetch has partnered with ThredUp to offer a donation program.

Why it is important: As resale gathers steam, Farfetch is committed to become more and more circular.

Farfetch is offering its customers a “clean out kit” from ThredUp where they can fill up a bag with gently used items that will then be resold. 50% of the profits will be donated to charity. Any remaining payout will be given as a Farfetch shopping credit.

This partnership is the first time that ThredUp’s “clean out kit” will allow a retail-as-a-service partner to use its white label offering.

Farfetch, ThredUp partner on clothing donation service 

What: Boohoo partners with Kuwait’s Alshaya to grow Debenhams in the Middle East.

Why is it important: The Debenhams brand has been popular in the region so this is a great opportunity to develop both Debenhams and Boohoo.

Alshaya, a franchise operator which runs Debenhams stores in shopping malls, will have exclusive rights to operate the stores and a local e-commerce platform in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Oman and Qatar.

Boohoo’s says it seeks to work with strategic wholesale partners in key regions to extend its reach. The Alshaya partnership will see Boohoo brands in Debenhams stores from the fourth quarter of 2021 and on a new local online platform across the Middle East from early 2022.

Boohoo Partners With Kuwait’s Alshaya To Grow Debenhams in Middle East 

What: Ahead of the Olympics, Tokyo enters its fourth pandemic-related state of emergency.

Why is it important: As borders are closed, department stores Matsuya and Isetan are developing omnichannel strategies to engage with local customers and try to benefit from the Olympics anyway.

The government is asking that department stores, bars and restaurants close by 8 p.m. and do not serve alcohol. With the country’s borders now closed, department stores are getting creative with how they appeal to domestic customers.

Matsuya Ginza has started online customer service, not only sales, but also showing what is going on in the store. Efforts are put in e-commerce and delivery services for cosmetics and food by taxi and bike. For the overseas customers, the retailer does live commerce through WeChat. Matsuya do not do direct Olympic-related campaigns, but will offer special events relating to Japanese culture such as Pokémon events. They will also sell sets of food and drink for the people watching the Olympic Games at home.

Isetan Mitsukoshi is taking similar measures. In November the company launched a remote shopping app designed to provide customers with an in-store shopping experience online. The app includes a chat feature, the ability to consult with sales staff via video, and even a payment platform. They are also publishing content that addresses customers’ interests: for instance, buyers introduce curated product selections. For its fiscal year that ran from April 2019 through March 2020, Isetan Mitsukoshi’s online sales were around JPY 20 billion. For the following year, they grew to JPY 31.5 billion.

Japan’s Retailers Brace for Spectator-free Olympics 

What: Vogue Business sat down with the new EVP leading the investment.

Why is it important: The American retailer is hoping that personalisation, faster delivery and tech-enabled stores will enhance its value to customers.

Neiman Marcus plans to spend the sum during the next three years on new tech, updating its stores and speeding up deliveries. Bob Kupbens, Neiman Marcus Group’s new EVP and chief product and technology officer is leading the investment. He will be working with the e-commerce team, the “Connect” app and the innovation team.

Technology to improve personal relationships with customers is key, making services such as recommendations, one-to-one communications and store visits better, faster and more scalable. Crucially, it’s the top clientele who are set to benefit. The goal is what the company calls “integrated luxury retail”, which translates to personalised services for a small subset of customers, says Kupbens; 40% of the retailer’s business is from customers spending more than USD 10,000 a year, and about 35% of the group’s revenues comes from the retailer’s credit card holders.

In June, NMG announced it was acquiring Stylyze, a software company that uses machine learning to make outfit recommendations based on what customers have looked at or purchased. Neiman Marcus has worked with the company since 2018, and integrated it into NM Connect, the proprietary tool introduced two years ago that associates use to communicate with customers. That’s a huge competitive advantage as customers don't want to wade through thousands of products, they want more curated selections. Two months after the technology was rolled out to nearly 5,000 associates, it resulted in USD 60 million in incremental sales.

Stylyze uses machine learning to understand products and then find similar or coordinating items. It helps associates scale their capabilities to make product and outfit recommendations. This technology has the potential to be combined with proprietary customer data, such as location, shopping habits or preferred brands, to generate personalised experiences and offers. Even in store, an associate could use the software to fill a dressing room with client favourites, or make coordinating recommendations. The group currently uses Stylyze’s technology in remote and digital selling, but plans to integrate it into e-commerce, mobile apps and one-to-one messaging channels like text and chat. Stylyze is a first of “several future investments”, according to the company.

Kupbens rejects the notion of tech for tech’s sake. “There are a lot of really gimmicky things that I just reject — like I don't want a bunch of screens in a store for the purpose of having screens. I don't want facial recognition. I'm very much in the service of the customer experience, and whatever is going to make that seamless.” Going forward, he may offer the ability to log into an app in store to access extra information or experiences that require identifying the customer, similar to the types of perks found online.

Inside Neiman Marcus’s $500 million tech investment 

What: Edmond Mesrobian, Nordstrom’s chief technology officer and chief information officer participated in VentureBeat’s Transform 2021 virtual conference.

Why is it important: As customer service is Nordstrom’s bedrock, Mesrobian shared how the department store revamped its data infrastructure in ways designed to enhance customer experience.

Nordstrom Analytical Platform (NAP) is a real-time, event streaming–centric analytical platform that provides insights on everything from customer services to credit. Reflecting on the start of this project, Mesrobian said that the most important thing is to remember that presenting the information is not about reporting data, but about collecting events that can be translated into actions.

Nordstrom starts by getting the business events created, organized, and streamed in real time. Then the multi-layered analytical models translate the events into predictions that lead to customer benefits and services. NAP employs open source technology and cloud computing, stitching existing components together to create an analytical platform that drives machine learning in a robust way.

“We want to transfer the responsibility from the data engineers in the past … to the application owners to make sure that their business events were pure, curated, and correct to begin with, and [they are] also aligned with their business goals,” Mesrobian explained. The shift in responsibility, he said, is key to the platform architecture process.

Nordstrom collects user preference information and employs it to provide better selection, better dynamic looks, better style boards, better choices, and so on. Through AI, the company presented a more robust way of driving discovery and personalization. Nordstrom also launched a fashion map effort to take a natural language-based approach with deep learning so that the model gets to know customers better through conversation, as opposed to keyword searches.

When building an analytical platform, Mesrobian pointed out that it is important to keep in mind that data is not the crucial aspect: so the platform actually has to make predictions rather than presenting raw information. An important point is also to make sure that the systems are wired from the store with privacy and security in mind, so that the analytics take into account both the business event and the privacy impact of customers.

Nordstrom CTO on AI-powered analytics and consumer insights 

What: The department store has filed its results for the year to the end of January and said that it was "significantly impacted" by the three separate Covid lockdown in the UK.

Why is it important: The company saw strong growth online, thanks to brand new customers,  in all categories, especially in beauty and home.

It meant the flagship was closed for almost six months of the financial period and even when it was open, restrictions on movement meant that both domestic and international tourists stayed away. Meanwhile, the office workers on which it can usually depend in London's West End were also staying at home.

That said, Liberty Online benefited from the lockdown and the company said it showed strong revenue growth year-on-year.

Looking at the numbers, total revenue fell to GBP 55.768 million from GBP 93.138 million a year earlier. Sales per square foot, including concession revenue, at its flagship store fell to GBP 358 from GBP 1,309 as the impact of the store closures kicked in.

EBITDA before non-recurring and one-off items, was a loss of GBP 12.588 million from a profit of GBP 14.442 million a year earlier. But while the company made a pre-tax loss of GBP 1.322 million, that was better than the loss of GBP 6.696 million a year earlier. And it managed a net profit of GBP 2.522 million, again, much better than the loss of GBP 8.342 million a year ago.

Liberty hit hard by flagship Covid closure but online booms

What:  The largest mall in the US finally comes to completion

Why it is important:  The luxury section, initially intended to make the most of international tourism, is now addressing local communities and neighbouring states.

The American Dream mega mall, which opened in 2019 just before the Covid-19 pandemic, finally comes to completion by opening its luxury section, called the Avenue, a year or so after its planned opening date. It will include Saks Fifth Avenue (reported here) as well as international brands (Hermes, Saint Laurent, Tiffany, Dolce & Gabbana, Mulberry…). The 30,000 square meters wing is currently leased at 70%, as some significant tenants which signed up at the beginning simply disappeared in the meantime (Lord & Taylor, FAO Schwartz, Barney’s).

Speculations on the fate of this mega-mall in a post-pandemic world have gone for some time now (read this report from the New York Times in December 2020) and initially intended to draw international tourists. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it has adjusted its offer, to a total of 45% retail and 55% entertainment, to better address the local communities and neighbouring states (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio).

American Dream Mall

What: The revamped flagship is the first iteration of the new Bed Bath & Beyond concept

Why it is important:  Gone are the days when presenting products in a warehouse-like atmosphere was enough. This new concept acknowledges the need of experience and services as a very basic expectation of the post-pandemic customer.

The first iteration of Bed Bath & Beyond new concept has been launched in New York, in a 920 sqm space which is radically different from the way the retailer was previously selling its products.

The customer experience is based on immersion and ability to try and save time, through an interactive vacuum display, a “scan and buy feature”, the usual set of fulfilment options (BOPI, kerb side pickup, same-day delivery). It also emphasizes the presentation of its own private labels (of which six of them have been launched this year), and completes the experience with the appropriate set of F&B options.

This new experience takes distance with the previous concept which stacked products and cluttered stores, an approach which affected Bed Bath & Beyond competitiveness. The retailer plans to invest USD 250 million to remodel 450 stores in the coming 3 years.

Bed Bath & Beyond to open redesigned NYC flagship

What: Google expands on its commerce business, including a new YouTube live shopping beta.

Why is it important: YouTube, which boasts that its massive userbase of more than 2 billion people accounts for nearly a third of the internet, is poised to be Google’s best weapon in the battle to dominate social or video commerce.

Google revealed new retail efforts, including a beta program for YouTube livestream shopping and updates to help retailers reach deal-hunting shoppers. So if you’re watching a supported livestream on YouTube, you can now browse and shop products in real time, without interruption.

The news arrives at a pivotal moment for social commerce, as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, TikTok and more have been looking to dive deeper into online shopping trends, including live shopping, augmented reality try-ons, shopping with friends and other initiatives.

Social media companies see a cash cow in social media shopping, though it doesn’t come without risks — namely, undercutting the appeal of the very influencers who power these platforms, their popularity and their commerce bids. In essence, if all they become are product pushers, it’s hard to imagine fans will continue to follow, like and subscribe at the same levels./nbsp]

YouTube also revealed a new monetization tool this week. Now available broadly as a beta feature, Super Thanks allows fans to applaud — read: tip — to show appreciation for single uploaded videos, ranging from USD 2 to USD 50.

Google also revealed new search and Google Shopping updates targeting bargain shoppers and amplifying seasonal promotions. For instance, companies can set public promotions so that they only apply to first-time customers, as well as distinguish specific deals for indexing via organic traffic, which is free, versus paid listings.

Google Reveals Commerce-Related Updates

What: A refurbished category at Harvey Nichols which gets rid of its historical operator

Why it is important:  Harvey Nichols was late on managing directly a key category and a significant contributor to margin.

Harvey Nichols has announced the launch of its childrenswear section in its stores and online, including 25 brands and more than 700 items, covering customer needs form newborns to teens, both on casual and occasion wear.

This is the first time that Harvey Nichols ventures in this category directly without delegating it to a specialized operator. The offer will be available at the Knightsbridge, Manchester, Leeds and Edinburgh stores.

Harvey Nichols launches its first ever childrenswear range

Harvey Nichols to launch kidswear department

What: PayPal has announced the introduction of PayPal Zettle in the U.S., a digital point of sale solution that will allow small businesses to seamlessly sell across in-person and online channels.

Why is it important: The launch coincides with drastic shifts in consumer behaviour toward digital and omnichannel experiences where all businesses need to invest to meet consumers where they are.

With PayPal Zettle, small businesses will gain an integrated solution that allows it to accept a range of payments in-person with the Zettle card reader, will help them start selling online and also help manage sales, inventory, reporting and payments across channels. The new solution will also enable small businesses to utilize PayPal’s suite of payment and commerce solutions including its Business Debit Mastercard and invoicing.

By partnering with PayPal, small businesses’ in-person and online sales can be managed through a PayPal Business account where the business will have access to their funds within one day. Additionally, small businesses will be able to offer consumers more payment options including credit and debit cards, PayPal and Venmo QR Codes, digital wallets and access to PayPal Working Capital.

PayPal Introduces PayPal Zettle in the U.S. 

What: Bloomie’s will be a convenient, elevated and slimmed-down version of the department store.

Why is it important: Following the flexible format units trend initiated by Nordstrom Local stores, Bloomingdale’s is also thinking small with its first Bloomie’s store, a 22,000-square-foot unit opening on 26 August in the Mosaic District shopping centre in Fairfax, Virginia.

Bloomie’s emphasises luxury, advanced and contemporary labels, and services such as personalisation, customisation, and alterations. The selection is rounded out by beauty, fine jewellery, eyewear and men’s wear. Bloomie’s will also offer services, including easy returns from any channel at the Returns Dropbox, and buy online for in-store or curbside pickup, all accessible through the centralised Front Desk at Bloomie’s.

Every associate on the sales floor will be a stylist, expert in all categories, to provide a level of service enabled by technology. Each stylist will be equipped with digital selling capabilities, allowing them to access special finds for customers outside of Bloomie’s, from nearby Bloomingdale’s stores to Bloomingdales.com.

Bloomingdale’s Is Downsizing With Bloomie’s, A Convenient, Elevated New Concept

Bloomingdale's press release