Strategy

Urban Outfitters, which has a history of selling products that can sometimes cause offense (at least to some consumers), has entered the presidential debate.   The chain is offering a range of merchandise criticizing Donald Trump, Bloomberg reported, including  a book of Trump quotations styled to look like Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong’s Little Red Book.   

Walmart Canada has begun following through with a June announcement it would gradually stop accepting Visa payments.   On June 11, the retailer issued a release stating it would stop accepting Visa payments across Canada, starting July 18 at stores in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Multiple media reports indicate that as of July 18, Walmart Canada is no longer taking payments via Visa-branded cards at three stores in Thunder Bay.  

Matt Powers, who formerly held a high-level real estate executive role at Walmart, is shifting professional gears.   Powers has joined real estate services firm JLL Inc. as an executive VP who will serve on the company’s Retail e-commerce Distribution (ReD) platform. He will help advise retailers on their distribution real estate strategies and implement solutions that help clients achieve their supply chain, e-commerce and omni-channel operational goals.  

Burlington Stores Inc. is upping its guidance for several key fiscal metrics in the second quarter of fiscal 2016.   The retailer now expects second quarter adjusted net income per share to total $0.28 to $.30, up from a previously announced range of $0.20-$0.23 per share and compared to $0.19 in the same period the previous year. Burlington Stores also currently anticipates adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) in the range of $88 to $90 million, compared to the prior year figure of $75.4 million.

A Supervalu executive will be departing the company, according to a recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The company’s executive VP merchandising, marketing, retail and pharmacy Mark Van Buskirk’s employment will end effective July 16, the filing says.    In the interim, the company is evaluating a succession plan and Van Buskirk’s functional areas will report to Supervalu executive VP, COO and CFO Bruce Besanko.  

Amazon.com Inc. cannot be accused of ignoring the fulfillment needs of customers in California.   The e-tail giant plans to open its 10th California fulfillment center in Sacramento. The new 855,000-plus-sq.-ft. facility, the fourth California fulfillment center Amazon has announced within a span of four months, will create more than 1,000 full-time hourly roles.  

Quick-service restaurant chain Quiznos has promoted global chief marketing officer Susan Lintonsmith as its new CEO.   Joining Quiznos as chief marketing officer in 2012, Lintonsmith was instrumental in opening the China market and leading the opening of the Quiznos Grill premium sandwich concept. Previous roles in her more than 25-year career include serving as a consultant to Einstein Noah Restaurant Group and as chief marketing officer of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers.  

The National Retail Federation (NRF) is publicly supporting legislation that would phase in the Labor Department’s new overtime regulations.  

Having brokered the sale of street-front retail real estate on 101st Street and Third Avenue in New York for $2.2 million, RKF declared the unofficial rule of placing prime retail locations below 96th Street in Manhattan to be null and void.  

Cabela’s Inc. announced plans to expand to open two new stores, including its first-ever location in New Mexico.   The hunting and fishing retailer will open a 70,000-sq.-ft. store at Legacy at Journal Center, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2017.   The store will offer customers an immersive outdoor experience with a 360-degree mountain and wildlife-display feature, dozens of taxidermy mounts, vintage outdoor photos and memorabilia, and a regionally specific theme.