Marketing

Tractor Supply Company is celebrating the opening of its 1,600th store, which opened in Brentwood, Calif.   The new store will hold its grand opening on Saturday, Feb. 4th.  

Ulta Beauty is launching a new holding company.   On Sunday, Jan. 29, the beginning of the company’s new fiscal year, the retailer will form a new holding company, Ulta Beauty Inc. “Business operations will not change, and the primary purpose of the reorganization is to create a more efficient corporate structure,” the company said.    All outstanding shares of common stock will automatically convert, and the stock will continue to trade under the "ULTA" ticker. 

Neil Saunders, CEO of retail research and consulting firm Conlumino, comments on Starbucks’ first quarter results in the remarks below.    

Starbucks posted disappointing sales growth for its first quarter, citing “a challenging environment for restaurant retailers overall.”   The coffee giant reported that its consolidated net revenues increased 7% in the quarter, ended January 1, 2017, to $5.73 billion, less than analysts had expected.  

Hollister Co. is reviving its intimates brand.   The retailer, a division of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., is reintroducing its Gilly Hicks line of intimates, loungewear and swimwear. Gilly product can now be purchased in all of Hollister’s U.S. stores and globally online. Hollister plans to open Gilly in-store shops in selection locations “that will provide the customer a unique Gilly Hicks brand experience.”  

For the first time, H&M shoppers will be able to purchase merchandise straight on the runway.   On March 2, H&M is launching its ‘See Now, Buy Now’ show, which enables customers to log onto its site and purchase items from its H&M Studio collection immediately following its presentation during Paris Fashion Week. Merchandise will also be available in select H&M stores.   

The former CEO of the nation’s top plus-size apparel chains will soon head up a food retailer.   Just days after it was revealed that Linda Heasely had left her position as chief executive of Ascena Retail Group’s Lane Bryant and Catherine’s, Honey Baked Ham Company announced that it had appointed her as its new CEO, effective Feb. 6, 2017.  

Design Within Reach has opened a store in Portland, Ore., in an historic building that dates back to the end of the 19th century.   The retailer opened in the city’s North Pearl District, in a circa 1890 two-story brick warehouse that originally served as a distribution center for pottery and housewares.   "We're thrilled to be a part of the vibrant, evolving Pearl District and the opportunity to support the preservation of this historic building," says DWR president John McPhee.