Strategy

A coordinated rebranding effort has resulted in a new name for retail associations POPAI and A.R.E, which merged last October.   The new, combined group has changed its name to Shop!, a trade association focused on enhancing retail environments and experiences. The name is designed to represent the 2,000-plus global member companies and align with the full industry community they support.  

“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” has been the theme song of U.S. consumers for the past two years, but they may need to look for a new anthem.  

Target Corp. is taking its lighting to the next level.   The retailer has entered into an agreement with Acuity Brands for Acuity to provide Target with smart lighting technologies, featuring energy saving LED fixtures and dimming controls.    Target will be installing Acuity’s next generation, smart LED sales floor fixtures, along with the lighting company’s store accent lighting and distribution center site lighting.   

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is considering new regulations that could it make it difficult for smaller stores to accept food stamps.  

Sobeys Inc. has named a former Home Depot executive as the Canadian retailer's chief merchandising officer. Lyne Castonguay will oversee all aspects of Sobeys go-to-market strategy, with responsibility for category management, marketing, data insights, research, procurement, private label and merchandising as well as the company's digital strategy.

Sobeys Inc. has named a former Home Depot executive as the Canadian retailer's chief merchandising officer.   Lyne Castonguay will oversee all aspects of Sobeys go-to-market strategy, with responsibility for category management, marketing, data insights, research, procurement, private label and merchandising as well as the company's digital strategy.  

Restructuring costs helped increase fourth quarter net loss at Barnes & Noble Education Inc. to $2.8 million from $300,000 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015.   Not all the fourth quarter fiscal news was negative, however. Total sales rose 8% to $294.8 million from $274 million, aided by a 4.5% increase in same-store sales.  

For the third year in a row, Walmart hosted more than 450 entrepreneurs during the company’s “Made in the USA” Open Call event held Tuesday, June 28 at its corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. The event, part of Walmart’s fourth annual U.S. Manufacturing Summit, is designed to find products made, assembled or grown in the U.S.  

Whole Foods Market, Inc. is teaming up with a well-known analytics provider to obtain a deeper understanding of its assortment and customer base.   The specialty grocery chain has selected Nielsen as its primary U.S. analytics provider for POS data, consumer insights and industry metrics. Nielsen is working with the company to collaboratively create a customized natural and organic product hierarchy that will provide a comprehensive view of Whole Foods Market's product categories, including ingredient-level attributes.

The demise of the American mall is greatly exaggerated, held Sandler O’Neill analyst Alexander Goldfarb during a discussion of Brexit on CNBC.   “Dead mall stories are great, but when it comes time to drive earnings cash flow in stocks, that’s where those big powerhouse malls show through,” Goldfarb said. “For the global investor looking for safety and security, [it’s] U.S. real estate.”