July 30 – Shopify Reports $1.2B Net Loss, Lays Off 10% of its Workforce
The company’s e-commerce gamble “didn’t pay off,” CEO Tobi Lütke said, and it expects operating losses through the rest of the year. From: Retail Dive
July 29 – Amazon Posts Q2 Loss Against Earnings Expectations
Amazon fell short of second-quarter expectations as it continued working to cut costs and drive its Prime business. From: HomePage News
July 29 – Macy’s Unveils Akwaaba Inns Home & Housewares Collection
Macy’s has launched Akwaaba Inns for Hotel Collection, a limited-edition assortment of functional and fashionable home furnishings and housewares pieces curated by Monique Greenwood, founder and CEO of Akwaaba Inns. From: HomePage News
July 29 – Olympia Sports is Shutting Down its Stores
Owned by private equity firm CriticalPoint Capital, the Maine-based retailer is holding closing sales at all locations. From: Retail Dive
July 29 – Kroger Starts Ocado-Powered Dallas Delivery
As the company continues to expand its delivery network, The Kroger Co. announced the official opening of its newest customer fulfillment center, an Ocado-equipped facility in Dallas. From: HomePage News
July 28 – Big Lots Blows Out Back-to-Campus Initiative
As the move to college gets underway, Big Lots is offering an expanded selection of campus living essentials and has modified its store space accordingly. From: HomePage News
July 28 – Best Buy the Latest to Warn of Sales, Profit Declines
The retailer enjoyed strong sales during the pandemic, but inflation is squeezing the already falling demand for electronics. From: Retail Dive
July 28 – Placer.ai: Target, Dollar Stores Look Back-to-School Sharp
As summer proceeds, back-to-school shopping serves as a boost for retail foot traffic and sales. But under 2022 conditions of inflation, labor shortages and online initiatives, the annual return-to-class season is bound to have its ups and downs based on consumer concerns, which Placer.ai has been evaluating. From: HomePage News
July 28 – Saks Off 5th Partners with Rent the Runway
Saks Off 5th on Thursday announced a partnership where customers can buy pre-owned designer items from Rent the Runway on its website, which now features a “pre-owned” section, according to a company press release. From: Retail Dive
July 28 – Dollar General Expands Distribution, Explores Wellness Initiatives
Dollar General has announced the addition of three new distribution centers and the creation of an expert panel to help the company expand its health and wellness operations. From: HomePage News
July 28 – Trader Joe’s Workers at a Store in Hadley, Massachusetts, Have Voted in Favor of Unionizing.
The final results, which were tallied on Thursday afternoon, were 45 in favor and 31 against forming a union under Trader Joe’s United, the independent group that organized the workers. From: Grocery Dive
July 27 – Hy-Vee Has Named Aaron Wiese as its New CEO, Effective Oct. 1.
Wiese, who is currently the company’s vice chairman and president of supply chain and subsidiaries, will take over the top spot from Randy Edeker, who will stay on as chairman of its board of directors, according to an announcement on Wednesday. Wiese, who has been with the Midwest grocery chain since 1993, was promoted to his current role at the end of last year. From: Grocery Dive
July 27 – Target Adds Three New Sortation Centers To Speed Deliveries
As it builds logistics capacities, Target is adding three new sortation centers in the next year, two in greater Chicago and one in the Denver metropolitan area, to speed delivery, boost efficiency and reduce shipping costs, the company announced. From: HomePage News
July 27 – Williams-Sonoma Brand President Resigns
SAN FRANCISCO– Williams-Sonoma Inc. announced that Ryan Ross, president of the Williams Sonoma brand, is resigning effective July 26 to assume a leadership role outside of the company. From: Home Accents Today
July 27 – Albertsons Enjoys Q1 Gains
In a quarter when shoppers shifted to food and consumable purchasing under the pressure of inflation, Albertsons Cos. posted satisfying sales and earnings, beating Wall Street estimates. From: HomePage News
July 26 – Nordstrom Rack Expanding in Two States
In April, Nordstrom said it was streamlining the leadership ranks of Nordstrom Rack, centralizing its customer strategy under one leader and consolidating responsibility for store operations across both Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack. From: Chain Store Age
July 26 – Walmart Preliminary Q2 Results See Comps Gain on Lower Margin
In a business update, Walmart provided a revised outlook for the fiscal second quarter and full year as it takes pricing actions to improve inventory levels at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores in the United States. From: HomePage News
July 26 – Aaron’s Beats Q2 Expectations With Help From BrandsMart
The Aaron’s Co., an omnichannel provider of lease-to-own and retail purchase operations posted second-quarter financials that are the first that incorporate results from BrandsMart U.S.A., acquired April 1. From: HomePage News
July 25 – Office Depot, OfficeMax Parent Reveals Preliminary Q2 Financials
The ODP Corp, parent of Office Depot and OfficeMax, has announced preliminary unaudited results for the second quarter of 2022 including adjusted net income from continuing operations in the range of $38 million to $40 million; and adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations in the range of 78 cents to 80 cents. From: HomePage News
July 25 – Pottery Barn Collection Serves Physically Challenged
Pottery Barn has launched a new merchandise line, The Accessible Home, to serve people living with disabilities, injuries and other physical challenges. From: HomePage News
July 25 – ARKO Finalizes Acquisition of Quarles Petroleum Assets
The deal is part of the company’s focus on strategic growth that generates long-term shareholder value. From: Convenience Store News
July 25 – New Bed Bath & Beyond Investor Wants Improved Capital Structure
What will be the fate of Bed Bath & Beyond remains an open question, given its recent executive shakeup and declining financials, but the company continues launching new initiatives. From: HomePage News
July 22 – Amazon Starts Rolling Out Electric Vehicle Fleet
Customers awaiting their Amazon packages in major cities including Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle and St. Louis will begin seeing custom electric delivery vehicles from Rivian rolling to their homes. From: HomePage News
July 22 – FedEx Ground Scales Back Sunday Delivery Coverage
FedEx Ground will suspend Sunday home deliveries in some U.S. markets beginning the week of Aug. 15 after the operations posed “various challenges for certain service providers,” according to a memo the company sent to contractors Thursday. From: Supply Chain News
July 22 – Tractor Supply Enjoys Strong Q2
In the second quarter, Tractor Supply enjoyed mid-single-digit comparable store sales growth following a 10.5% year-over-year gain in the period a year prior and a solid earnings increase.
From: HomePage News
July 22 – TMR: Household Cooking Appliance Sales Heating Up
According to TMR people around the world are tending toward the use of energy-saving alternative products including small cooking appliances and air frying. From: HomePage News
July 21 – H-E-B Adds 5th E-Commerce Fulfillment Center
Hub will serve curbside and home delivery customers in Central Texas. From: Progressive Grocer
July 21 – Convenience Store Chain 7-Eleven Cuts 880 Corporate Jobs as Part of Restructuring
The cuts were of certain jobs in the company’s Irving, Texas, and Enon, Ohio, support centers, as well as field support roles, according to a company spokesperson. From: CNB
July 21 – Dollar Tree Appoints New CIO
Bobby Aflatooni is taking on the CIO role at Dollar Tree, coming to the company from his most recent position as EVP and CIO for The Howard Hughes Corp. From: Progressive Grocer
July 21 – Amazon to Buy Primary Health-care Provider One Medical for Roughly $3.9 Billion
The deal deepens Amazon’s presence in health care, an area in which it has sought to expand by launching an online pharmacy and ramping up a telehealth service, among other things. From: CNBC
July 21 – Tuesday Morning Boosts Real Estate Analytics as Bankruptcy Rumor Erupts
Bloomberg first reported rumors about Tuesday Morning considering restructuring alternatives including a second spell in bankruptcy. In the meantime, the retailer jointly released a press release with Intalytics, which will provide customized location intelligence solutions. From: HomePage News
July 21 – Amazon Takes Fresh Approach to Alexa-Enabled Voice Commerce
In addition to helping consumers purchase products, Amazon noted, developers can use the Alexa Shopping Kit to drive product awareness and offer product recommendations. From: HomePage News
July 21 – Macy’s Expanding New, Existing Small Store Formats
The stores will include Market by Macy’s, a smaller format that offers customers a curated assortment of trending fashions, as well as the first-ever dual Market by Macy’s and Macy’s Backstage off-price location. From: HomePage News
July 20 – Chicago Save A Lot Owners Get $13.5M Community Development Grant
Yellow Banana, which owns and operates eight Save A Lot stores in the Chicago area, received a $13.5 million community investment grant, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Tuesday. From: Winsight Grocery Business
July 20 – Nordstrom Taps Dick’s Sporting Goods’ VP for Executive Position; Names CMO
The department store retailer has promoted Deniz Anders to senior VP and chief marketing officer. From: Chain Store Age
July 20 – Amazon Sues Fraudsters on Facebook
Amazon plans to use information discovered in its legal action to identify bad actors and remove fake reviews commissioned by them that haven’t already been detected by its technology, investigators, and continuous monitoring, it stated. From: HomePage News
July 20 – Deloitte: Consumers Will Spend on Back-to-School Despite Worries
Consumers have genuine financial concerns as summer proceeds, but according to a study from Deloitte, they still plan to spend for back to school. From: HomePage News
July 20 – Shopify Partners with YouTube to Expand Shopping Via Video
Eligible businesses will be able to link their Shopify stores to their YouTube channel in just a few steps. From: HomePage News
July 19 – Whole Foods Market Moves into West Michigan
According to TMR people around the world are tending toward the use of energy-saving alternative products including small cooking appliances and air frying. From: Progressive Grocer
July 19 – Exclusive: Michaels Improves Personalization via E-mail Program
A leading North American specialty arts & crafts retailer is successfully reactivating customer email addresses for marketing purposes. From: Chain Store Age
July 19 – Novogratz Designs Lead Bed Bath & Beyond Back to College
The Novogratz back-to-school season collection, as characterized by Bed Bath & Beyond, is an assortment of furniture solutions, décor, and bedding and bath with a fresh style that elevates dorms, apartments, and small living spaces to reflect personal design choices. From: HomePage News
July 19 – Kohl’s McFeeney Takes Over Chief Technology Post
McFeeney has been with Kohl’s since January 2020, most recently serving as executive VP, technology, the company stated in the filing. From: HomePage News
July 19 – Kirkland’s CFO/COO Leaving, CFO Search Begins
Kirkland’s has announced that CFO and COO Nicole Strain will be leaving the company effective August 31 and that it has initiated an executive search process for a new CFO. From: HomePage News
July 19 – Tools For Change Asks Williams Sonoma Shoppers to Help Fight Hunger
At a $15.95 price, the purchase of each spatula can help provide 40 No Kid Hungry meals, according to Williams-Sonoma. From: HomePage News
July 18 – Macy’s and Toys R Us Ramp Up Store-in-Store Partnership
The partnership for the Toys R Us brand gives what may be its largest platform since the big box version of it was liquidated in bankruptcy in 2018. From: Retail Dive
July 18 – Lidl Opens its First Baltimore Store; Atlanta Store Set to Open Next Month
The hard discounter is unveiling the first of several rounds of new stores in the Northeast, including Atlanta and the Long Island area. From: Winsight Grocery Business
July 18 – Ross Adds Stores from Coast to Coast
The company debuted 21 Ross Dress for Less and eight dd’s Discounts stores across 12 of the United States in June and July. From: HomePage News
July 18 –Kroger, Kitchen United MIX Open 1st Location in Dallas
Cincinnati-based Kroger Co., through a growing partnership with Kitchen United MIX, opened its first virtual food hall in Dallas, the retailer announced Monday. From: Winsight Grocery Business
July 18 – Store Managers: Solid First Half Despite Challenging Outlook
A select group of brick-and-mortar store managers maintained in a survey that sales momentum from the first half of 2022 should help buoy revenues through the end of the year. From: HomePage News
July 18 – Discover @ Kohl’s to Feature Diverse, Women-owned Brands at 600 Stores
Dubbed “Discover @ Kohl’s,” the effort features seasonal areas throughout the store that curate “dozens of emerging, established, and diverse-owned brands that are new to Kohl’s,” the retailer said in a press release. From: Retail Dive
July 15 – Crate & Kids Revamps Registry
The new features, Crate & Kids stated, will help the baby registry program deliver a seamless, simplified and supportive digital experience for families and gift-givers From: HomePage News
July 15 – Kroger Expands Fulfillment Network with More Spokes
The nearly 80,000-square-foot spoke facility located in Maywood is approximately 20 miles west of Chicago. From: Progressive Grocer
July 15 – Amazon Prime Day Paid Off
Top selling categories, Amazon reported, included Amazon Devices, Consumer Electronics and Home. Some of the largest product sales occurred in the kitchen essentials segment under the Rachael Ray, Le Creuset, and Hamilton Beach brands.
From: HomePage News
July 14 – Saks: Higher-income Shoppers Continue to Spend; Spending Focus Shifts
The survey also revealed an increasing interest among all respondents in luxury wellness and home products. From: Chain Store Age
July 14 – H-E-B Delves Into Décor
H-E-B is putting the home in its home state with the launch of two new décor lines, Haven + Key and Texas Proud From: Progressive Grocer
July 14 – Meijer 1st Retailer to Earn Gold-Level Honor as Veteran-Friendly Employer
MVAA, the state’s central coordinating agency for Michigan’s more than 550,000 veterans, launched the VFE program eight years ago to support, recognize and enhance employers’ veteran-centric initiatives. From: Progressi
July 14 – Numerator: Prime Day Spend Gained Versus 2021
MVAA recognizes grocer for its commitment to hiring, retaining and supporting military veterans. From: HomePage News
July 14 – Adobe: June Online Inflation Slows
Although it recorded a 25th month of inflation online on an annualized basis, June was the third month where online price increases have slowed, Adobe maintained. From: HomePage News
July 13 – Vasos Retiring from Dollar General, Owen to Succeed as CEO
Owen became Dollar General’s COO in August 2019, the company pointed out, having previously been executive vp. store operations from 2015 and senior vp store operations from 2011 to 2014. From: HomePage News
July 13 – 99 Cents Only Stores Taps Swiftly for Personalized Mobile Shopping Experiences
Swiftly technology is powering 99 Cents Only’s new intuitive mobile app to deliver a connected in-store shopping experience with multi-language capabilities From: Progressive Grocer
July 13 – Amazon Opening First Fresh Store on Long Island, in New York State
Although the emphasis is on groceries, fresh food and convenience edibles, for example, take-out sandwiches and espresso, a few housewares items, such as cleaning tools, are merchandised in the aisles. From: HomePage News
July 14 – Shipt Promotes Back-to-School Spending
On its website, Shipt opens with a back-to-school pitch. The landing page leads with, “Same-day delivery for school days ahead. Get contactless delivery on suppliers, weeknight meals and more from local stores.” From: HomePage News
July 12 – U.S. Grocery Sales Jump 14% in June
U.S. grocery retail sales climbed 14% year over year in June, the third straight month of double-digit gains, Mastercard SpendingPulse reported. From: Supermarket News
July 12 – Numerator: Inflation Driving Consumers to Clubs, Dollar Stores
Across all income levels, more households are shopping club stores, with traffic up 9% year over year. From: HomePage News
July 12 – Walmart Adding 4,500 All-Electric Delivery Vehicles
The Canoo Lifestyle Delivery Vehicle is fully electric, American-made and optimized for sustainable stop-and-go last-mile delivery use, the company indicated. From: HomePage News
July 11 – Do it Best Selects Director of Brand Integration
Heine brings nearly 20 years of relevant industry experience to Do it Best, with a strong focus on national product and brand management. From: Hardware Retailing
July 11 – BJ’s Kicks Off ‘Wow Days’ Summer Sales Event
BJ’s Wholesale Club has announced Wow Days, a July 11-13 stretch when members can save up to 40% off hundreds of items across the home, consumer electronics and health and beauty categories. HomePage News
July 11 – Inflation Factors into June SpendingPulse Retail Gains
With auto and gas excluded, in-store spending gained 11.7% year over year in June. E-commerce sales grew at a slower pace in June, up 1.1% year over year, but growth stands at 97.6% versus June 2019 levels. From: HomePage News
July 8 – The Giant Co. Names Ted Williams as Director of Nonfoods
In his new role, Williams will oversee all areas of health and personal care, seasonal, general merchandise, pet supplies, candy, and baby. From: Winsight Grocery Business
July 8 – Ace Rewards Day Returns, Not Coincidentally, July 12 & 13
The Rewards Day event features limited-time savings for Ace Rewards members on thousands of products on acehardware.com, the company noted. From: HomePage News
July 8 – Zulily Unveils Online Shops to Supply School Return
Deals include savings applied at checkout every Friday at a proportion set to match the rate of inflation, according to Zulily From: HomePage News
July 7 – ISM: Service Industries Continue Growth Despite Low Inventories
The latest Institute for Supply Management Services Business Survey Committee report notes that economic activity in the services sector, including retail, grew in June for the 25th month in a row. From: HomePage News
July 7 – Mastercard: Retail Sales Rise 6.1% in June Amid Rising Prices
According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which measures in-store and online sales across all forms of payment, retail sales excluding auto and gas rose 6.1% year-over-year in June From: Chain Store Age
July 7 – Walmart+, InHome Combo Widens Member Delivery Options
Chris Cracchiolo, senior vice president and general manager of Walmart+, added, “When Walmart+ members ask for something, we work around the clock to make it happen for them. From: HomePage News
July 6 – Target Rolls Out Deals in Shifting Back-to-School Environment
Target is kicking off its back-to-school promotions by offering more ways for shoppers to save amid shifting schooling-related lifestyle trends. From: HomePage News
July 5 – At Home Exceeds 250 Locations with Five June Openings
At Home opened five new stores in June, bringing the chain’s store count to 252 across 40 of states. From: HomePage News
July 5 – ISM: Manufacturing, Economy Challenged but Still Growing
Fiore indicated demand continues to power the U.S. manufacturing sector, if less so in June, while held back by supply chain constraints. From: HomePage News
July 5 – Kohl’s Passes on Sale Despite Softening Business
Kohl’s asserted its board and management team remain committed to creating value for shareholders and to exploring further opportunities in the near and long term. From: HomePage News
July 1 – Wakefern Makes a Move with Key Leaders
The retailer-owned cooperative shared several leadership changes across its business that spans many parts of the East Coast. From: Progressive Grocer
