Marketing

Dick's Sporting Goods will be busy in August, opening five stores in three different states.   The nation's largest sporting goods retailer will open two namesake stores and three Field & Stream stores in the first half of August. In Prosper, Texas, Dick's and Field & Stream will open under one roof at the Gates of Prosper. And in Houston, Dick's will open at Post Oak Shopping Center.   

Costco Wholesale Corp. turned in a winning performance in July, fueled by strong traffic trends.   The company reported that its net sales in July rose 8.8% to $9.41 billion, compared to $8.65 billion during the similar period last year. Total company same-store sales rose 6.2%, with a 6.0% increase in the U.S. Excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange, total same-store sales rose 5.3%, and 5.5% in the U.S.   

The address of Under Armour’s new brand house in Detroit — 1201 Woodward Avenue — is an historic one in retail. There, in 1917, S.S. Kresge, the forerunner of Kmart, opened its first Detroit “five-and-dime.” The Kresge Building figures in recent retail history, too, as one of the bloc of buildings purchased by Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert in his quest to revitalize Detroit’s blighted downtown.  

Thousands nationwide turned out Wednesday for the chance to join Amazon’s growing workforce.   The online giant hosted a multi-state job fair on Aug. 2, focused on hiring full-time and part-time associates for positions across nearly a dozen of its U.S.-based warehouses. The event had such a massive turnout that Amazon said it received "a record-breaking 20,000 applications,” according to CNBC. This is almost half of the 50,000 roles the company says it has available across its fulfillment network.

L Brands, The Cato Corp., and The Buckle reported decreases in same-store sales, although one still managed to sound an upbeat note about its second quarter.   

There is an endless list of adjectives to describe the first six-months of the Trump administration. But one modifier is both accurate and acceptable — and that word is unpredictable.   For context, the first six months of the Obama and Bush administrations were fairly predictable. Both embarked on a legislative agenda that looked and felt a lot like their campaign platforms and while the legislative process for both was rocky, we knew what we were in for. Not so much this time around.  

PGA Tour Superstore is betting on Las Vegas.   The retailer has signed a lease to open its first store in the Las Vegas market, a 30,000-sq.-ft. space in downtown Summerlin.   The location, expected to open later this year, is the company's 31st store. It will be staffed with PGA teaching professionals, have five state-of-the-art swing simulators, multiple practice hitting bays, an expansive putting green and a junior putting green along with an in-house club-making and repair facility.

Saks Fifth Avenue is partnering with Disney to celebrate the holidays.   Saks' annual holiday window display at its New York City flagship on Fifth Avenue will be devoted to "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." The collaboration with Disney also includes special Disney-inspired fashion, accessories and giftable items created by premier designers and available across Saks' 41 stores in the U.S. and Canada, and Saks.com.   

The arrival of German discount grocer Lidl and Amazon's purchase of Whole Foods Markets have ratcheted up the already intense grocery wars and put new pressure on existing players, including Walmart. But one analyst thinks the discounter is well-positioned for the battle.  

Weis Markets saw its sales and income increase in its second quarter.      The company’s net income in the quarter totaled $18.5 million, a 21% increase over the year-ago period. Operating income rose 15.2% to $27.7 million, compared with $24.1 million in the same period last year.    Sales rose 20% to $876.6 million. Same-store sales rose 2.7%, after adjustment for the Easter holiday shift.