Strategy

Report: Walmart rolls out fresh employee carts
Walmart has reportedly begun deployment of shelf-stocking carts designed to improve the produce shopping experience. According to Reuters, the retailer has so far implemented what it calls “quality carts” at 500 U.S. stores, with plans to have them available at almost all locations in the U.S. by the end of the third quarter.
Extreme value grocery store with unusual model joins the fray
A new player has entered the value grocery segment. LogicLane, a start-up company that provides discount wholesale grocery supply chain services and a wholesale grocery e-commerce marketplace for businesses, has entered the retail arena, opening a supermarket in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Called Mill Street Merchants, the store is designed to extend the extreme value deals previously only available to national businesses on the LogicLane website to local businesses and consumers.

Report: Nordstrom buys stake in supply chain software firm

Nordstrom has taken another step to reduce complexity in its supply chain and improve its shipping of online orders. The retailer has bought a minority stake in DS Co., a software company that links inventory management between retailers and suppliers, the Wall Street Journal reported. The company, based in Utah, offers a cloud-based service, called Dsco, which makes it easier for suppliers to directly ship orders placed through their retail partners.
Tech Bytes: Walmart Pay is Rolled Out – Now What?

Customers at all of Walmart’s 4,600-plus U.S. stores can now use the Walmart Pay digital payment service. This is an impressive feat, especially considering Walmart Pay was only announced in December 2015 and didn’t start undergoing official rollout until May 2016. While everyone agrees Walmart Pay reaching full implementation is a big deal, there is less agreement on how this will affect the digital payment landscape.
Ralph Lauren turnaround plan evokes Ford Motor’s comeback

Beset by declining sales, growing competition and changing consumer tastes, Ralph Lauren has launched an ambitious turnaround plan that includes a heavy brand emphasis.
Walmart Pay is Rolled Out – Now What?

Customers at all of Walmart’s 4,600-plus U.S. stores can now use the Walmart Pay digital payment service.
Good times for fast-casual chains

Bolstered by the rapid expansion of build-your-own pizza concepts, fast-casual chains had another strong year in 2015. That’s according to Technomic Inc.’s annual Top 250 Fast-Casual Chain Restaurant report, which reported that cumulative sales in the fast-casual dining segment rose 11.6% in 205, compared to 13.5% in 2014.
Now Showing: Stores in classic L.A. movie palaces

Los Angeles’s Broadway Theater District was the first such entertainment strip to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Is the famed alley of theater palaces now poised to make retail history?
Off-price retailer continues to expand

Nordstrom remains in expansion mode with its Nordstrom Rack division. A 26,000-sq. ft. Nordstrom Rack is scheduled to open in spring 2017, at CityPlace, a 100-acre, master-planned development in Woodbury, Minn. The property is owned and managed by Elion Partners, a Florida-based real estate investment firm.
Retailer in growth mode with new format

Hhgregg is on the move. The appliances, electronics and furniture retailer said it intends to open 25-30 Fine Lines appliance locations over the next two years. Hhgregg currently has 14 Fine Lines stores, including three new locations, with two in Ohio and one in Indianapolis.

Report: Walmart rolls out fresh employee carts

Extreme value grocery store with unusual model joins the fray

Report: Nordstrom buys stake in supply chain software firm

Tech Bytes: Walmart Pay is Rolled Out – Now What?

Ralph Lauren turnaround plan evokes Ford Motor’s comeback

Walmart Pay is Rolled Out – Now What?

Good times for fast-casual chains

Now Showing: Stores in classic L.A. movie palaces

Off-price retailer continues to expand

Retailer in growth mode with new format