Strategy

CST Brands is not a household name in the retail industry, but it is fast becoming one. The company has ambitious plans to grow through new store construction and acquisitions and just made several key executive moves to help make things happen.

For millennials it’s little more than legend, but the dotcom crash of the early 2000s was a very real event for any retail IT professionals of the Gen X or Baby Boomer demographics.

As retailers prepare to kick off the technology conference/user group season with the upcoming NRF “Big Show,” it might be a good idea to review a few lessons from that era about how to properly evaluate vendors and solutions.

A Shaky Investment

Walgreens and Advocate Health Care on Monday announced Advocate will own and operate the 56 Healthcare Clinics at Walgreens stores across the greater Chicagoland area. The retail clinics will function as part of Advocate and will be branded as Advocate Clinic at Walgreens, with the first clinic opening under the Advocate banner in May 2016.

Genesco is lowering its earnings forecast for the fiscal year despite a 3% increase in same-store sales over the holiday period.

The company said same-store sales increased 3% for the quarter-to-date period ended Jan.2. Sales for the company's e-commerce and catalog direct sales businesses increased 20% on a comparable basis for that period.

A decades-old apparel retailer finds itself no longer in fashion, undone by fast-fashion competition and a lack of e-commerce expertise.

Joyce Leslie filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection in White Plains, New York, and is a likely candidate for liquidation, Women’s Wear Daily reported. The chain, founded in 1945, operates 47 stores throughout the Northeast.

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet is raising its full year outlook after the discount retailer holiday strategy delievered strong sales growth.

The company annouced that net sales over the holidays increased 23%, while same store sales increased 5.6%.

American Apparel on Monday said that it has received unanimous approval of all voting classes for its reorganization plan. But also on Monday, the company received a $300 million buyout offer from an investor group that has the support of American Apparel founder and ousted CEO, the controversial Dov Charney.

The investor group, which is comprised of Hagen Capital Group and Silver Creek Capital Partners, said that its offer is superior to the company's reorganization plan, and has a valuation range of $180 million to $270 million.

Energy Design Service Systems (EDSS) has opened a new office in Mexico, representing the culmination of the company’s year-long efforts to expand its market reach internationally and increase exports to Mexico.

EDSS welcomes its new sales representative Yennise Garza, who brings more than a decade of experience in sales and market research to the EDSS team. With Garza’s help, EDSS expects to participate in Mexico’s increasing efforts to reduce the country’s energy consumption to meet their ambitious carbon reduction goals.