Consumer Affairs & Relations

Sam’s Club members are in for a slew of new services when the retailer launches its lending center this week.

SmartBiz, the exclusive platform for SBA-guaranteed loans for the Sam’s Club Business Lending Center, will provide qualifying Sam’s Club business members with SBA loans with low monthly payments, single digit interest rates, and a simple, streamlined application process.

In addition, SmartBiz developed and runs the technology platform that drives the Sam’s Club Business Lending Center, now available at SamsClub.com/services.

Fayetteville, Ark. -- Walmart U.S. on Wednesday announced that it is making a small but “significant” change to its employee name badges as part of its renewed commitment to associates.

“I'm proud to say that we're bringing back ‘Our People Make the Difference’ on our badges. These words are just as important today, and to our future, as they ever were,” said Walmart U.S. COO Judith McKenna.

The answer to the questions above may not be as obvious as one would think. Retailers not only suffer losses in the billions, but they also must spend millions in an effort to thwart this behavior. In the past, retailers could rely on the criminal justice system, but today’s limited resources have left retailers with only civil demand laws which are currently being scrutinized.

Kohl’s is joining Walmart and other retailers in stepping up to help with flood relief efforts in Texas and Oklahoma.

Kohl’s has announced it will be donating $100,000 to the American Red Cross, which is delivering much-needed emergency supplies and services in the impacted areas. In addition to a financial contribution, Kohl’s encourages its associates to volunteer in support of cleanup efforts through its Associates in Action volunteer program.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. – Dollar General Corp. beat Wall Street expectations for profit but missed on sales in the first quarter of fiscal 2015. Net income totaled $253 million, up 14% from $222 million the same period the prior year.

Higher initial inventory markups, improved inventory shrink rate and lower transportation costs helped boost net income. Net sales increased 9% to $4.92 billion, compared to $4.52 billion. Same-store sales increased 3.7%, resulting from increases in both customer traffic and average transaction amount.

Amazon  is facing increased competition these days. In some of the more publicized developments, subscription-based e-commerce site Jet.com is taking off soon, EBay is piloting a service to compete with Amazon Prime in Germany, and Google is reportedly planning to introduce a “buy” button that will turn searches into transactions.

Beyond the natural competition any successful business generates, there are specific factors making it more appealing than ever for retailers of all sizes to try taking on Amazon. Here are three of the most significant ones.

New York -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled against Abercrombie & Fitch in favor of a Muslim woman who filed a lawsuit after she was denied a job at a store operated by the retailer because she wore a head scarf for religious reasons. The ruling sends the case back to a lower court for further consideration.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Abercrombie & Fitch Monday in favor of a Muslim woman who filed a lawsuit after she was denied a job at a store operated by the retailer because she wore a head scarf for religious reasons.