Strategy

Amazon may have its sights set on a new, multi-billion dollar market.   The online giant may be on the cusp of entering the pharmaceutical dispensing business, according to a report by CNBC. The company reportedly has hired a general manager whose role is said to be helping the online retailer explore how to hang a pharmacy shingle.  

German discount grocer Lidl is set to shake up the competition with prices that promise to turn up the heat on its U.S. competitors, who are already engaged in a price war.    Lidl on Wednesday revealed the locations of the first 20 stores it will open this summer in the United States, starting on June 15. (See end of story for listing). The stores — in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia — are the first of up to 100 locations the grocer plans to open across the East Coast by next summer.    

Apple wants to give its shoppers more reasons to visit its stores than to make a purchase or visit the Genius Bar.  

The story of the reinvention of a mall into a multi-use development got more colorful this week.   Crayola Experience announced it will place its fourth U.S. location in The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano, Texas, a Starwood mall that is adding a seven-story office tower, an expanded dining district, and the North Texas Performing Arts Center in a top-to-bottom transformation.   

Dick’s Sporting Goods came up short on same-store sales growth in its first quarter amid what the company called “a challenging retail environment.”  

Staples reported mixed results for its first quarter as earnings came in line with expectations but its revenue fell short.    The office supplies retailer reported adjusted earnings of 17 cents a share, in line with Wall Street forecasts. Total sales fell 5% to $4.1 billion, short of analysts’ expectations. Total company same-store sales fell 3%, beating estimates.   

A month after it announced it would close 400 stores, the other shoe has dropped at Rue 21.   The Warrendale, Pennsylvania-based retailer announced it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and entered into agreements with some of its lenders to reduce the company's debt and provide additional capital in support of its restructuring. The company, which expects to continue normal business operations throughout the process, listed its assets and liabilities in the range of $1 billion and $10 billion, according to its court filing.

Executives at Walmart are planning their next move in anticipation of its newest rival — and asking suppliers to support their cause.   The European grocer Lidl, which has a track record for disruption, is preparing to open its first 20 United States-based stores this summer. The first locations are set to open their doors in the next few weeks. As a result, Walmart is asking suppliers to keep their prices low, according to the Consumerist.