Strategy

When evaluating the flooring in a new store or a remodel, installation is key.  Meet Mark Chichak with Halex Corp., who discusses how a company that doesn’t make the flooring – but, rather makes the installation materials and tools – can be a key partner in creating solutions for faster, easier and more profitable ways to build and remodel stores.

Japanese retailer Uniqlo's U.S. expansion is picking up speed as the company prepares to open its first-ever stores in the Seattle, Denver and Washington, D.C.

Cincinnati – The Kroger Co. is reportedly planning to close and rebrand some stores operating under the Harris-Teeter banner in Tennessee. According to the Nashville Tennesseean, Kroger will close four Harris-Teeter stores it operates in Nashville by June 2015.

Three of those stores will reopen under the Kroger banner. Kroger previously closed a Harris-Teeter location in Nashville, but has not yet rebranded any Harris-Teeter stores. Kroger purchased the Harris-Teeter grocery chain for $2.4 billion in January 2014.
 

New York -- Tiger, the Danish discount chain known for its low prices and design emphasis, is entering the United States, opening a 5,000-sq.-ft. flagship in May, in New York City.

Tiger stores offer a quirky, ever-changing selection of exclusive products across a wide variety of categories, including home, toys, hobby, party, snacks, electronics, gadgets, fashion accessories and seasonal. The majority of its products, roughly half of which are designed in house, sell for $10 or less.

Walmart is beginning to raise wages for workers in several states as part of its employee initiative for fiscal 2015.

Rite Aid said higher prescription sales and stronger cost control helped the drugstore chain report a profit surge for the fourth quarter.

Camp Hill, Pa. – Rite Aid Corp. beat Wall Street expectations with soaring profit in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. The retailer reported net income of $1.83 billion, exponentially larger than net income of $55.4 million in the same quarter a year earlier.

A favorable tax asset valuation drove the substantial profit growth. Revenues rose 4% to $6.8 billion from $6.6 billion, mostly due to a same-store sales increase of 4.5%.

Seattle – Amazon.com styles itself as a provider of everything its customers need, and that extends to software development. Amazon has selected Seta International as an official Amazon Software Solutions Provider.