Marketing

Walmart is expanding its online breadth in Canada.   The discount giant expanded its global online marketplace to its Canadian e-commerce store, Walmart.ca, a move that doubles the site’s online product assortment. The retailer expects this number to quadruple by the end of this year, according to Walmart.  

Based on its recent bold expansion into the grocery segment, Amazon is primed to give food and beverage e-commerce a shot of adrenaline.   This was according to “U.S. Grocery Market Focus: The Amazon Food Shopper,” a report from Packaged Goods.    According to the firm’s estimates, Amazon's 2016 online food and beverages sales, including AmazonFresh, is at $1.5 billion. This volume is expected to rise to $2.3 billion in 2017, giving the company a 19% share of the online market.

Apple wants to help retailers take their enterprise mobility strategies to the next level.   The company is teaming up with Accenture to help businesses transform how their workforces engage with customers through iOS-based solutions. The partnership will educate companies on how to take full advantage of the functionality, simplicity and security of the mobile platform.   

Target Corp. is giving Trader Joe's some competition — albeit at a slightly higher price — when it comes to bargain-priced wine.    On September 3, Target will launch its own line of wines at more than 1,100 stores nationwide. The line, called California Roots, consists of five different blends, with two whites and three reds. And each will sell for $5 a bottle.  

The deals at Ollie's Bargain Outlets were too good for shoppers to pass up in the retailer's second quarter, which topped analysts' expectations.   The value retailer, whose motto is "Good Stuff Cheap," said that its net income increased 50.1% to $19.7 million, or $0.30 per diluted share, in the quarter ended Aug. 29, from $13.1 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted net income, increased 34.0% to $17.8 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, in the quarter.   

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and Shoptalk, organizer of the annual conference for retail/ecommerce innovation, announced a partnership focused on creating a global community and conversation for retail and e-commerce innovation.    The partnership will include Shoptalk Europe, which will be held on October 9-11, 2017 at the Bella Center in Copenhagen. It will also include Shoptalk 2018, which will take place on March 18-21, 2018 at the Venetian in Las Vegas.  

Consumer confidence increased in August to the second highest level since late 2000.    The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index rose to 122.9 in August, up from 120 in the prior month. Economists had expected the index to rise to 122.5 in August.    The Present Situation Index increased from 145.4 to 151.2. The Expectations Index rose marginally from 103.0 last month to 104.0.  

A wellness retailer is making is easier for its Chinese shoppers to make online purchases.   By partnering with Alipay, GNC Holdings is enabling all registered users of the payment platform in China to purchase vitamins, supplements, minerals, herbs, sports nutrition, diet, and energy products on its e-commerce site. Besides being a leading online payment provider in China, Alipay has 520 million registered users that access the platform to make online and mobile payments.