The 10 Biggest Retail Stories Of 2015

In an opinion piece published days ago, two New York Times columnists called fast food workers’ push for a higher minimum wage one of the biggest social justice stories of the year.

The ‘fight for $15′, as activists and their allies call it, has been one of the biggest stories in retail since the movement began in earnest in 2012.

This year, employees of McDonald, Burger King and the like celebrated a significant victory when New York’s wage board approved a new $15 minimum hourly pay for the state’s 200,000 fast food workers. The decision marked the first state-wide, industry-specific raise in history. Now, hourly associates at retail chains including Zarasay it’s their turn.

In terms of both reader interest and reaction, the low-wage worker fight for better pay was Forbes’ top retail story of 2015. Here, in something resembling chronological order, are the other nine:

The L.A.-based hipster clothing chain was rarely out of the spotlight for the first half of 2015, with new CEO Paula Schneider taking the helm after founder Dov Charney, mired in sexual harassment allegations, was ousted in 2014. She still has her work cut out for her: the company has since filed for bankruptcy and just announced it’d be closing its first ever store in California’s Echo Park. What’s more, Charney has his mind set on a return to the top job.

Trump dumped

In the wake of derogatory comments about Mexican immigrants, billionaire presidential candidate Donald Trump saw a host of retail companies ditch their collaborations with him, including Macy’s, which sold apparel under a licensing deal with the mogul; PVH Corp., which made those suits and ties; and Perfumania, the mall chain which sold scents with The Donald’s name on them.

Collaboration calamity

Both Target’s collaboration with cheery Palm Beach brand Lilly Pulitzer and French design house Balmain’s collection for H&M sold out in mere minutes, causing in-store frenzies and, of course, mass disappointment on social media. Expect to see more of these sorts of high-low capsules in 2016, even if the only clear winners are reseller sites like eBay and Tradesy.

The death march of the department store

Are you still shopping at Sears? What about its subsidiary, Kmart? Macy’s? Dillard’s? These and other department stores have seen their same-store sales decline as shoppers flock to the more experimental Target, fast-fashion chains like the unstoppable Zara, or newcomers with exciting merchandising propositions  — Japanese import Uniqlo, for instance.

Of the traditional mall anchor stores, J.C. Penney may be the company most likely to make a comeback. New CEO Marvin Ellison has, after all, been credited with Home Depot’s turnaround.

Forbes’ retail oracle Walter Loeb noted that Ellison’s priorities include improving the chain’s e-commerce capability and concentrating on its private-label brands, like the ever-popular Liz Claiborne and Arizona. Wrote Loeb: “The company is in a better position today than it has been in several years.”

Walmart’s warnings

The world’s biggest retailer shocked Wall Street in October when its CFO announced a dour earnings forecast not just for the 2015 fiscal year, but the next two.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon chalked up the outlook to multi-billion-dollar investments in e-commerce technology and an hourly worker wage boost to $10. Still, in one morning, the Bentonville, Ark.-based retail giant lost well over $20 billion in market value.

The jury is still out on whether the day’s stock plunge, Walmart’s biggest one-day drop since 1988, was an overreaction on the part of investors. McMillon is selling the news as part of a “three-year growth plan” that’ll see the chain better able to compete online with the likes of Amazon.

Chipotle’s contamination crisis

The cult fast-casual Mexican chain suffered a blow to its normally stellar reputation, and its bottom line, with three separate outbreaks: E. coli in the Pacific Northwest, norovirus in Boston, and a second wave of E. coli cases in the west. The company had to temporarily close 43 restaurants. The stock has taken a hit too, falling to a 19-month low. Chipotle’s founders, normally lauded for their innovation, have promised to change their cooking methods and regain their diners’ trust in the safety of their burritos.

REI said bye bye to Black Friday

Outdoor apparel company REI hit headlines and earned shopper (and worker!) goodwill by announcing it’d be closing its doors on Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, instead encouraging would-be customers to #OptOutside. The move was part of a greater backlash against the creep of consumerism into the Thanksgiving holiday, as many stores now choose to start Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving Day.

Starbucks faced (faux?) outrage

The coffee giant faced criticism from vocal Christians after an evangelical pastor declared the chain’s annual seasonal red cups to be…well, not ‘Christmassy’ enough. “And behold, Starbucks did conceive and bear a red cup, and called his name blasphemy,” wrote an author on conservative website Breitbart.

As my colleague Katie Sola pointed out at the time, the ensuing social media brouhaha was nothing if not a marketing win for the Seattle coffee company. “Starbucks stock prices didn’t change much, and the protesters still bought Starbucks products,” shewrote.

Star Wars ruled the toy store shelves (and everywhere else)

The biggest moneymaker in toys and merchandise this year has undoubtedly been Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the recently-released JJ Abrams movie that launched product tie-ins in every conceivable retail category, from the grocery aisles to department store shelves. Analysts predict Star Wars merch will generate $5 billion over the next 12 months. Yes, billion with a b. That number would probably be higher if the powers that be in toyland had thought to include female protagonist Rey in action figure packs.