Marketing

Wal-Mart Stores is reportedly planning a major round of job layoffs by the end of this month.   The retailer will eliminate positions at its headquarters and among regional personnel that support stores, the Wall Street Journal reported.  

Nordstrom has added the title of chief innovation officer to its executive team.   The department store retailer named company veteran Geevy Thomas to the new position. Thomas, who most recently served as president of Nordstrom Rack, brings 34 years of experience in all areas of Nordstrom to this role, beginning as a salesperson and then moving into store, regional and buying management roles.   

Hudson's Bay Co. is the latest department store retailer to report weak holiday sales.   The Canadian retailer, whose banners include Hudson’s Bay, Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor, reported a 0.7% decrease in consolidated comparable sales in the nine-week holiday selling period that ended Dec. 31.  

In keeping with its fast-paced growth, Petco is starting the new year by celebrating the grand re-opening of 14 remodeled stores in Los Angeles.    Last year, Petco expanded its retail presence nationwide by opening 71 new stores and one new Unleashed by Petco store, remodeling 41 stores and expanding five stores.     Fourteen Petco stores will celebrate grand re-openings on Jan. 13-15.  

The Howard Hughes Corporation announced it has purchased the 11.4-acre Macy’s store and parking lot at its Landmark Mall in Alexandria, Virginia, and will set about transforming the enclosed property into an open-air center.  

Despite being criticized as being impersonal gift options, gift cards continue to rise in popularity.   In fact, gifts care are increasingly expected and eagerly used, especially among "older" millennial adults, according to “Prepaid and Gift Cards in the U.S., 5th Edition,” a report from market research firm Packaged Facts.  

Starbucks Corp. is no longer selling alcohol.   The chain will stop selling beer and wine as it brings to an end to its "Evenings" program. The program, currently in operation in 439 company-owned stores in the United States, will end Jan. 10, although it may continue overseas. Also, Starbucks plans to integrate beer and wine into its new higher-end Roastery format.  

Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings raised its full-year outlook after shoppers flocked to its stores in search of its signature “good stuff cheap” during the holiday season.   For the nine-week period ended December 31, 2016, Ollie’s total sales increased 16.3%, with a same-store sales increase of 1.9%. The discounter said it now expects full-year net sales to total about $888 million, ahead of the FactSet consensus of $874 million. It expects same-store sales growth of about 3% and per-share earnings of about 93 cents.