Retail News

Genre bookstores are having a moment — especially in Chicago

Reported by Retail Dive, Kaarin Moore on Oct 26, 11:17 AM ET

From romance to horror, genre readers are done settling for just a few shelves. Now they are coming for the entire store. Independent bookstores are proving that niche may be a standout strategy. From romance to science fiction, genre-specific shops are turning specialized interests into retail opportunities. Overall, the number of independent bookstores is on the rise. Last year, over 600 new, independent book shops opened across the U.S., an 87% increase year over year, according to the American Booksellers Association.

Read the full story at Retail Dive

This is a short excerpt credited to Retail Dive; the full article is on the publisher's site. CheckDealsDaily doesn't edit or verify third-party reporting. Prices mentioned in news stories can change — check the verified deals for prices we track.

More Retail News

See all

Retail DiveOct 26, 12:22 PM ET
CVS wants to sell more Pokémon, collectibles
The pharmacy retailer is expanding its assortment of toys and collectibles as adults fuel growth in those segments. Adults are fueling toy and collectible industry growth, and CVS is getting in on the craze. “There’s something exciting about finding a product you weren’t expecting during an everyday shopping trip,” Zach Dennett, interim chief merchandising officer at CVS Health, said in a statement. “By regularly introducing new and unexpected finds at their local CVS, we're creating more moments of discovery and giving customers reasons to explore what's new every time they shop with us.” Expanded offerings include Joyward Halloween Squishes, Nook…
Retail DiveOct 26, 12:13 PM ET
Target spruces up SoHo store, fan shops ahead of the holidays
In both cases, a localized presentation is key to what the retailer calls its “merchandising authority.” Less than a week after touting that this year customers will find thousands of gifts priced $5 or under, Target is once again stressing affordability, noting that nearly 90% of the items at its fan gear shops are less than $50. This emphasis is already driving volumes at Target, according to research last month from Jefferies analysts led by Corey Tarlowe.
Retail DiveOct 26, 10:39 AM ET
Levi’s distribution network transition saga continues to drag
Due to a facility fire during Q3 and the complexity of its SKU mix, the retailer doesn’t expect to see benefits from its overhaul until 2027. Levi’s network transition from an owned distribution center approach to a hybrid owned and third-party-run facility model has been tripped up again, but the company is optimistic about where the journey will end. Following the closure of the Hebron site, Levi’s is focused on working through operational complexities at its Groveport, Ohio, facility, where the Kentucky location’s work was moved. “I think 2027 is very reasonable and realistic to start seeing the benefits.
Retail DiveOct 26, 5:00 AM ET
Agentic commerce: The infrastructure is ready for AI agents. Is your store?
Heading into peak shopping season, the shoppers you’re trying to reach are asking ChatGPT and Gemini for gift ideas, and plenty of retailers are wondering whether their products will show up in recommendations. Shopper trust earned in AI today tends to carry forward as AI shopping becomes the norm, according to McKinsey . That traffic is worth chasing. AI-referred visits to U.S. retail sites converted 60% higher than non-AI traffic in July and generated 53% more revenue per visit, Adobe reports — the 11th straight month AI traffic outperformed on conversion.
Retail DiveOct 26, 5:00 AM ET
Keeping pace with Walmart Marketplace: the work behind Base.com’s Innovation Award
On the first night of Let's Grow 2026, Walmart Marketplace's annual seller summit, Walmart presented its Marketplace Innovation Award to Base, a multichannel ecommerce platform used by more than 35,000 brands in over 180 countries. The award recognized years of work on a problem nearly every Walmart seller runs into: how to keep growing on the channel without hiring a much bigger team to keep up with it. Over three days at Let's Grow, the Base team talked with more than 500 brands and partners.
Retail DiveOct 26, 5:00 AM ET
The most expensive problems are the ones you’ve learned to live with
Retailers have become remarkably adept at absorbing complexity. They adjust staffing around changing demand, build inventory and fulfillment processes to account for uncertainty and develop rules, buffers and manual interventions that keep the business running when the ideal answer is difficult or impractical to find. Over time, however, those accommodations can become so embedded in the operation that their original purpose is easy to forget. A process that consumes dozens of hours each week becomes simply how scheduling gets done. Extra capacity becomes part of the plan.

More Retail News

CVS wants to sell more Pokémon, collectibles

Target spruces up SoHo store, fan shops ahead of the holidays

Levi’s distribution network transition saga continues to drag

Agentic commerce: The infrastructure is ready for AI agents. Is your store?

Keeping pace with Walmart Marketplace: the work behind Base.com’s Innovation Award

The most expensive problems are the ones you’ve learned to live with