MAIN Business Retail Industry

Since the rise of the village markets of old, the modern retail industry has grown today into a trillion-dollar a year business - ranging from the corner mom-and-pop stores to mega-giants like Walmart.

A major economic driver (that also fuels the textiles, food services and other industries), retail and outlet stores follow a cyclical pattern that depends on a constant turnover of merchandise. Clearance sales center around major holidays as 'old' inventory is cleared for new.

Current challenges to the retail industry include increased integration with the online community and social media. This means offering electronic discount codes and sales coupons, as well as developing more sophisticated apps for mobile devices for online shoppers.

Meeting the demand for more green products and services while keeping prices highly competitive are only two of the future challenges that the retail industry must face in the years ahead.

Meanwhile, global retail has also become a major player in emerging markets such as in India and China to help meet an explosion of consumer demand.

Just up ahead, discover top picks for resources to help you keep up with the latest retailing news, statistics and trends - or help you find a mystery shopper, build a display, stock your shelves, get expert management and customer service strategies, or find a job in the highly competitive retail sector ....

also see -> How to open a franchise

More about the retail industry around the Web:

Retail Industry - About.com with a virtual library of information on retail sales, management, jobs, and current trends in the US and global retail industry.

Retailing - Sweeping overview from Wikipedia with a history of the retail industry, information on retailers by type and marketing strategy, current trends and global overviews of major retail stores by country, with related references and resources.

Retail Merchandiser - There's one-stop shopping at this online edition of the top industry magazine offering news, trends, and a business directory of related resources.

Internet Retailer - News, issues, trends, buyer's guide and resources for retailers doing business online.

Retail Source - B2B marketplace for design, construction and visual merchandising, plus industry news, community forum, and related resources.

AllRetailJobs.com - Boasting one of the biggest job boards online with thousands of listings for retail jobs searchable by US city, state and keyword.

STORES - The National Retail Federation site featuring a comprehensive industry buying guide, feature stories and retail news.

NARMS - The National Association of Retail Marketing Services with a searchable member list of organizations, food brokers, retail installation companies, mystery shoppers and demonstration firms, plus educational materials and reports with paid membership.

Latest Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services - Read the latest data in html, PDF or text format from the U.S. Census Bureau.

British Retail Consortium - The U.K.'s retail trade association with the latest headlines, a member directory of retail service providers, FAQ's, retail stats and membership information.