Retailers are looking forward to the trends and technologies that the new year will bring, but it’s also important to reflect on some of the most impactful events of 2018. Retail Dive put together a calendar of the most important news stories from each month this year.
January: The beginning of the end for Toys R Us
Toys R Us foreshadowed a tumultuous — and ultimately fatal — year with an announcement in January to hire a liquidator and shutter at least 180 stores in bankruptcy. At the time, the toy retailer, who filed for bankruptcy in September 2017, held optimistic plans to open new Babies R Us concepts and reengineer its loyalty and CRM program to improve the customer experience. Needless to say, the plans weren’t enough to save Toys R Us.
