Strategy

An online menswear brand that is expanding its store footprint has expanded its senior team.      Vancouver, Canada-based Indochino has appointed Randy Binning as VP of retail operations. The 15-year Guess Inc. veteran most recently served as director of stores for Guess and Marchiano Canada. Prior that he was a regional director for Guess. Binning is charged with leading a consistent and exceptional customer experience across all locations and ensure continued profitability as the company continues to grow.  

Walmart is the subject of a federal lawsuit involving its alleged treatment of pregnant workers.   

Amazon is celebrating two decades as a public company in a big way — as an enterprise worth nearly $460 billion.   The retail giant, which began as a modest online bookstore, went public on the Nasdaq in an IPO valued at a modest $438 million. Today, Amazon has grown into an empire that not only sells books, but has become a major player across categories, including clothing, food, furniture, jewelry, private-label goods and electronics, among other segments.   

Growth struggles, including lower-than-expected active user volume, marked Snap’s first quarter as a public company.   The photo-based messaging company, which went public in early March, is growing — albeit slower than expected. For the quarter ended March 31, Snap’s daily active users (DAU) grew to 166 million from 122 million in the first quarter of 2016 — an increase of 36% year-over-year.   

JCP ended its last fiscal on a moderately upbeat note -- especially on the profit front, where it managed to push into the black. These first quarter results change the mood music to a much more somber tone and undoubtedly represent a setback in the company's recovery plans.  

J.C. Penney got off to a rough start in the new year as it joined fellow department store operators Macy’s, Kohl’s and Nordstrom in reporting disappointing sales results.  

There’s been a new twist in the U.S. lawsuit over Wal-Mart’s alleged bribery in Mexico.  

The supermarket industry is constantly changing. Consumer food choices and how they shop, frequent regulation modifications and new technologies to integrate are just a few things we gathered from recent customer input concerning the most pressing issues for the industry. As 2017 rolls along, there are four emerging trends we see that grocery marketers should be aware of for the remainder of the year.   1. Impact of the digitally engaged food shopper on retail facilities

Retail sales increased in April, led by online, consumer electronics stores and home improvement outlets.     Retail sales in April increased 0.3% seasonally adjusted over March and 3% unadjusted year-over-year, the National Retail Federation said on Friday. The number, which exclude automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants, was below expectations.  

CBL continued to reduce its credit position with the disposition of mall assets this week and announced the dawning of a new day for the company.   The mall owner and developer closed on the sale of two Tennessee properties for a total of $53.5 million — Foothills Mall in Maryville and College Square in Morristown. Proceeds of the sales, CBL reported, were used to reduce outstanding balances on its lines of credit.