July 31 – Walmart ups stake in Flipkart after buying additional shares from Tiger Global
The mass merchant in 2018 became Flipkart’s largest shareholder after paying $16 billion for an initial 77% stake in the company. From: Retail Dive
July 31 – Food Lion Unveils Additional Store Renovations in North Carolina
Grocer will cut the ribbon on 47 locations throughout Greenville, Jacksonville and New Bern. From: Progressive Grocer
July 31 – Bed Bath & Beyond’s Etlin: Lessons for CFOs staring down bankruptcy
With the messy task of closing hundreds of Bed Bath & Beyond stores poised to be completed this month, the home-goods retailer’s Holly Etlin reflects on her role as a kind of “uber CFO.”
From: Retail Dive
July 30 – NGA Names Chelsea Matzen VP, NGA Foundation
Exec expanding leadership development, technical assistance programs. From: Progressive Grocer
July 28 – Amazon Serves Up New Payment Option
To give consumers a new way to pay for purchases, Amazon has struck a deal with Fiserv, that will allow eligible debit and credit cardholders to redeem their uChoose Rewards points for purchases on Amazon.com and the Amazon mobile app. From: HomePage News
July 28 – Amazon wind farm in Mississippi will power local Whole Foods Market, fulfillment centers The company’s goal is to run its operations off renewable energy in the next couple of years. From: Supermarket News
July 28 – Overstock Beats Street in Q2, Readies U.S. Adoption of Bed Bath & Beyond Banner
In a conference call, Overstock CEO Jonathan Johnson (pictured above) said the Bed Bath & Beyond intellectual rights acquisition is an exciting proposition, even as the company gets ready to rebrand under that banner. From: HomePage News
July 28 – Retail Rents Rise in Q2 as Availability Tightens: CBRE
Shifting retail location strategies and high financing and construction costs are shaking up demand for space. From: Retail Dive
July 27 – Wegmans Sets Opening Date for Long-Awaited Manhattan Location
The grocer has officially announced that it will open the 87,500-square-foot location at 770 Broadway on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 9 a.m. From: Progressive Grocer
July 27 – Tractor Supply to Expand its Footprint, Aiming for 3K Nationwide
The retailer said its updated real estate plans include 200 more stores than previously planned, for a new target of 3,000 U.S. stores. From: Retail Dive
July 27 – H-E-B, Sam’s Club Again Tops Among Brick-and-Mortar Retail Pharmacies: J.D. Power
Annual study also finds increases in customer satisfaction and digital engagement. From: Progressive Grocer
July 27 – Amazon Boosts Michigan Operations with New Robotic Fulfillment Center
The new facility expands Amazon’s operations and transportation network in the state, supporting the 10 fulfillment and sortation centers and 13 delivery stations throughout Michigan, the company maintained. From: HomePage News
July 27 – Advertising Revenue Boosts eBay’s Q2
For the second quarter, eBay posted sales and earnings gains with help from higher advertising revenues against a small slide in gross merchandise volume. From: HomePage News
July 27 – Kroger Converts Tennessee Store into Self-Checkout-Only
Kroger associates are available to help customers scan and bag groceries, Bell said, noting that the change did not result in a reduction in labor and that the store is currently hiring new associates. From: Grocery Dive
July 26 – Holiday Survey: Consumers Express Spending Confidence
Customer satisfaction is critical to generating additional sales as 93% of respondents expressed a strong likelihood of revisiting a brand or retailer following a positive experience, underscoring the role of customer satisfaction in fostering lasting relationships. From: HomePage News
July 26 – Rent-A-Center Showcases Luxury in 50th Anniversary Promotion
The company announced that the campaign, dubbed 50 Days, 50 Drops, will showcase the Rent-A-Center brand by creating interest in the rent-to-own proposition and offering luxury products for lease from brands never seen at RAC. From: HomePage News
July 26 – The Knot Rebranding to Boost Relevance, Promote Marketplace
The Knot is updating the brand to increase its relevance with the next generation of couples while driving growth for the small businesses that participate in the vendor marketplace, the company pointed out. From: HomePage News
July 25 – UPS, Teamsters Agree on Tentative Contract
The United Parcel Service has announced that it had reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents about 330,000 UPS employees in the United States. From: HomePage News
July 25 – Alberstons Beats Wall Street Estimates as Idents Gain
A 4.9% year-over-year increase in identical sales helped drive first-quarter revenues, the company noted, From: HomePage news
July 25 – Wayfair Introduces Decorify, an AI-Enhanced Home Redecorating Tool
Decorify uses a generative AI model that creates photorealistic and shoppable images that allow consumers to view their domestic spaces in new styles. From: HomePage News
July 25 – Decoding the Very Real Future of AI in Housewares
Although the advent of ChatGPT has gotten much attention lately, the impact of AI on retailing is ongoing and has a lot of potential if addressed from a business perspective. From: HomePage News
July 25 – Amazon, iRobot Update Merger Price to Balance Credit Facility Adoption
Amazon and iRobot are working cooperatively with the relevant regulators in their review of the merger, the companies noted. From: HomePage News
July 25 – CVS Pharmacy Debuts Universal Tools Collection from one+other
Recognizing a need for more representation in the self-care aisle for the disability community, CVS Pharmacy developed the Universal Tools collection with inclusive design at the forefront. From: Drug Store News
July 24 – The Fresh Market Names New CFO
Dave Ciesco brings 25+ years of experience in finance and strategy to THE specialty grocer. From: Progressive Grocer
July 24 – New Owner of Buybuy BabyCould Reopen Some Stores
Dream On Me’s $15.5 million purchase of BuyBuy Baby included the chain’s trademark, digital properties, the mobile platform, business data, and advertising and marketing assets. From: Chain Store Age
July 24 – Dollar General Spotlights Back-To-School Housewares, Calls for Diverse Suppliers
Dollar General is giving teachers a back-to-school break, too. Through September 15, the company is offering a 30% discount on school supplies and housewares. From: HomePage News
July 24 – Circana: Consumers Cutting Back on Discretionary Spending
In a Circana study, June retail sales revenues in the United States, combining discretionary general merchandise and consumer packaged goods, increased by 1% versus the 2022 month as unit sales declined by 3%. From: HomePage News
July 24 – Lowe’s Shares Sustainability and Philanthropy Goals and Achievements
Big-box retailer Lowe’s released its 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report, outlining the company’s goals and achievements in areas such as sustainability, community and employee engagement. From: Hardware Retailing
July 21 – Sur La Table Adding Stores, Enhancing Operations
The store openings will boost the shopping experience with activations that established Sur La Table operate including the Ask a Chef program that provides consumers advice and recommendations while shopping the store. From: HomePage News
July 20 – Ulta Doubles Down on Livestream Shopping with New Partnership
A deal with Buywith allows the beauty retailer’s brand partners to host live shopping events on its website. From: Retail Dive
July 21 – Government Assistance Customers Offered Lower Walmart+ Member Price
Walmart is rolling out a program meant to give shoppers on government assistance a break with its membership program, including perks such as free delivery that can help working parents. From: HomePage News
July 20 – JCPenney Unveils Reimagined Corporate HQ
The company said the reopening is part of its continued efforts to enhance the employee experience and remain a visible leader in the local business community. From: Chain Store Age
July 20 – John Ruane Officially Becomes Giant Co. President
Ruane is also chair of FMI’s Fresh Food Leadership Committee and sits on the board of the directors of Philabunance, the largest hunger-relief organization in the Philadelphia area. From: Progressive Grocer
July 20 – KPMG: Consumer Ready to Spend More for Back to School
As was the case in 2022, back-to-school shoppers plan to do about 60% of their shopping in store, with Gen Z, Millennials and higher-income households more inclined to shop online. From: HomePage News
July 20 – Food52 Rolls Out New Loyalty Program
Food52 is launching a new loyalty program, The Table, which allows members of the company’s food media, home and cooking community to unlock exclusive perks and enjoy a more rewarding shopping experience. From: HomePage News
July 20 – Keurig Dr Pepper Strikes Deal with La Colombe Coffee Roasters
Keurig Dr Pepper will make an equity investment in La Colombe as part of the deal, enabling KDP to participate in the value creation upside the companies expect from the partnership, they stated. From: HomePage News
July 20 – Indies Heartened by Proposed FTC/DOJ Merger Guidelines
According to NGA, independent grocers are at critical disadvantage relative to their dominant competitors, including those serving rural communities. From: Progressive Grocer
July 20 – Ashley to ‘Refresh’ all Stores with New Design
The rebrand seeks to maintain relevance among consumers while attracting a younger demographic of customers who are looking for an upscale and on-trend look at an affordable price point, the company said. From: Chain Store Age
July 19 – Lowe’s Expanding Same-Day Delivery
Lowe’s will deliver eligible orders placed by 2 p.m. local time the same day. It will deliver orders placed after 2 p.m. the next day. From: HomePage News
July 19 – Walmart Business Adding App, Additional Services for SMBs, Nonprofits
In addition, Walmart Business+ members can now track their organizational spending with Spend Analytics, which delivers insightful data such as spend by user, top categories and items. From: HomePage News
July 19 – Ross Enters New Markets as It Opens Additional Stores
The new locations are in line with the company’s plans to add about 100 new stores – 75 Ross and 25 dd’s Discounts – during fiscal 2023, according to Ross. HomePage News
July 19 – Tops Promotes Mike Patti to SVP, Operations
A 50-year veteran of the organization, Patti was most recently regional VP for Tops’ West region stores. From: Progressive Grocer
July 19 – Stop & Shop Tackles Food Insecurity in New York’s Bronx Neighborhood
Stop & Shop first rolled out the program at its stores in Massachusetts last year and expanded to all 400+ locations across its northeastern footprint. From: Supermarket News
July 18 – Kearney: Consumer Response to Prime Day “Tepid”
Shoppers polled by KCI said that, of available promotions, Black Friday had the best deals and sales, with 46% identifying them as tops, followed by brand/store-specific sales, at 29%, then Prime Day, at 25%. From: HomePage News
July 18 – JCPenney Says Solid Colors Key for Back-To-School, College
For back-to-school 2023, JCPenney fielded a study of parents, and 91% said price and value are leading considerations for the seasonal purchasing period. From: HomePage News
July 18 – NRF: June Retail Sales Kept Growing
NRF’s calculation of retail sales – excluding automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants to focus on core retail – had June up 0.4% from May and 3.3% unadjusted year over year From: HomePage News
July 17 – Ross Stores Opens 27 Locations — with More to Come
The off-price apparel and home goods retailer recently opened 18 Ross Dress for Less stores and nine DD’s Discounts stores across 14 states in June and July. From: Chain Store Age
July 17 – At Home Adds Fourth Private Label, New Payment Method
At Home is rolling out a new private-label brand, Crosby St. while providing customers an additional way to pay for purchases. From: HomePage News
July 17 – CB2 Introduces Black In Design Collective
The collection throws a spotlight on Black storytelling through design, CB2 stated, which has been the core of Jerry’s own brand, Studio Anansi, from its conception. From: HomePage News
July 17 – NRF: Best Back-To-Classroom Selling Season Ever Underway
For back-to-class shoppers in general, the top shopping destinations are online, department stores and discount stores, the survey related. From: HomePage News
July 14 – Back-To-School Shoppers More Likely to Shop in Store, Less Wary of Finances
In-store promotions could influence a significant proportion of shoppers, as 30% said they would factor available deals into purchase decisions versus 24% in 2022 and 16% in 2021. From: HomePage News
July 14 – Crate & Barrel Debuts Easy Renovation Collection
The home renovation collection includes 400 new furnishings items across the lighting, furniture, textiles and hardware categories and includes kitchen islands, bathroom vanities, lighting and hardware in a variety of styles and finishes. From: HomePage News
July 14 – Port Traffic Gaining but Supply Chain Issues Still Threaten
NRF noted that retailers are watching labor disputes at ports in western Canada and a potential Teamsters strike against United Parcel Service with concern. From: HomePage News
July 13 – Target Names Roath Chief Marketing Officer
A 17-year Target veteran, Roath was most recently senior vp of food and beverage merchandising, the company stated. From: HomePage News
July 13 – Mahomes, Becky G, Barbie Curate Carts in Walmart Digital Promotion
In a new consumer outreach initiative, Walmart is launching a digital-first shopping experience that allows consumers to connect with their favorite celebrities and their customized shopping carts. From: HomePage News
July 13 – Home Items Tops Spending Categories During Record Amazon Prime Day
For the 2023 two-day event, Amazon offered more deals than any past Prime Day version, it stated, with home, fashion and beauty coming in as top-selling deal categories, From: HomePage News
July 12 – Deloitte: Consumers Cautious About Back-to-School Spending
The overall back-to-school market will decrease to $31.2 billion, with spending on clothing down 14% year-over-year, and technology purchasing down 13% in favor of school supplies, up 20% year-over-year. From: HomePage News
July 12 – Numerator: Home Items Lead Prime Day Sales
The top categories that Prime Day buyers reported purchasing were home goods, at 27%, household essentials, at 26%, apparel and shoes, at 25%, consumer electronics, at 21%, and beauty and cosmetics, at 20%. From: HomePage News
July 12 – Williams-Sonoma Debuts Celebrity Spatulas To Help No Kid Hungry
For the benefit of No Kid Hungry, the $15.95 purchase can help the organization provide 40 meals for kids, the Williams-Sonoma namesake banner noted. From: HomePage News
July 11 – Costco Pushed Ahead in June Despite Soft Nonfoods Results
Costco reported in a conference call that comp traffic gained 3.6% in the U.S. Strongest comps sales regions in the U.S. were the Northeast, Northwest and Southeast. From: HomePage News
July 11 – Kohl’s Kicks Off Back-To-School and Summer Cyber Deals
Back-to-campus deals include select small appliances for under $20 from brands such as Dash and Toastmaster, as well as discounts on bedding, bath and storage, the company noted. From: HomePage News
July 10 – Walmart Debuts Back-To-School Initiatives
As the new school year approaches, Walmart is updating its back-to-the-classroom promotions to make shopping affordable, easy and fun, the company asserted. From: HomePage News
July 7 – BJ’s Launches Wow Days Sales Event
As it competes with other major retailers as they entice July shoppers, including Amazon with its annual Prime Day, BJ’s is rolling out Wow Days to include deals on hundreds of products, with digitally-led offers online and a variety of offers in-club. From: HomePage News
July 7 – Amazon Addiction Rated by State, And Alabama Tops the List
In Alabama, 36.5% of respondents rated their Amazon obsession between 7 and 10. North Carolina, Michigan and Tennessee followed closely, all with more than 30% of those polled falling into that segment From: HomePage News
July 7 – NRF: Economy Still Moving in Right Direction
Consumer spending, 70% of GDP, increased at an annual rate of 4.2% in the first quarter, which was four times the 1% growth in the final quarter of 2022 and the fastest growth since mid-2021 despite strong headwinds from interest rates and inflation.
From: HomePage News
July 6 – H-E-B’s Much-Anticipated Store Opens at Historic Austin Site
To mark the grand opening, the company donated $20,000 to local nonprofit groups and organizations including the Central Texas Food Bank, Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, Treefolks and local school foundations. From: Progressive Grocer
July 7 – Target Back-to-School Kickoff Intersects with Circle Week Event
Target stated back-to-school and back-to-college deals will come across a mix of national brand and private-label merchandise From: HomePage News
July 6 – Tuesday Morning Converting Bankruptcy to Chapter 7
Tuesday Morning has chosen to convert its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing to a Chapter 7 status and is going out of business. From: HomePage News
July 6 – Macy’s Gets Jump On Rivals with ‘Black Friday in July’ Launch
Deals include 20%-60% off select furniture, mattresses and rugs 40%-60% off select dining and entertaining and 75% off select sheets, the company noted. From: HomePage News
July 6 – Amazon Highlights Prime Day Ways to Save on Housewares
The deals include discounts on a range of products including a variety of home goods. From: HomePage News
July 6 – Walgreens to Layoff Almost 400
It’s all part of a strategy, according to Walgreens, as the company focuses more on patient healthcare. From: Supermarket News
July 5 – Lidl Builds Up NYC, DC Presence with New Stores
Published reports have placed Lidl upcoming New York City store openings in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, as well as in the city’s Queens and Brooklyn boroughs. From: HomePage News
July 5 – Christmas Tree Shops Faces Liquidation
Christmas Tree Shops is looking at liquidation less than two months after parent company Handil Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. From: HomePage News
July 7 – Meijer to Host Summit for Black-Owned Businesses
Held at Meijer’s headquarters in Grand Rapids, the event will bring together Black vendors to exhibit their offerings and pitch their products to the company’s merchants. From: Progressive Grocer
July 5 – Big Lots Sale, Leaseback Deal Would Net $310 Million
The company entered into a Letter of Intent on May 24, that, in addition to the distribution center and owned stores, included a sale and leaseback of the company’s corporate headquarters, From: HomePage News
