Strategy

Ann Arbor, Mich. - Customer satisfaction with retail is down for the first time in four years. According to a report by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), all brick-and-mortar retail categories show weakening or flat customer satisfaction for the fourth quarter of 2014.  Internet retail satisfaction, however, is up from the same quarter in 2013.

Tractor Supply Company is marching ahead with plans for growth in 2015 by opening its 1,400th store.

The Eunice, La., location is scheduled to hold its grand opening celebration on Feb. 21, moving the retailer well past its Dec. 27 reading of 1,382 stores.

Alba, Italy - The Miroglio Group, an Italy-based international fashion retailer, has selected Zebra Technologies' wireless LAN solution to optimize information processes and transform them into a single omnichannel workflow. This selection was done as part of an overhaul plan that involved all the Italian companies in the Group: four buildings at its headquarters in Alba, its Milan offices and the entire store channel.

Target Corp. is reportedly localizing the assortments at its smaller-footprint Target Express stores to a high degree.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune reported that since opening its first Target Express in the Dinkytown neighborhood of Minnesota in summer 2014, the discounter has carefully considered local customer demographics when stocking shelves.

New York – Billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn has increased his investment holding in EBay Inc. In his regulatory filing for fourth quarter 2014, Icahn disclosed that he purchased about 446,000 shares of EBay.

British supermarket giant Tesco has named John Allan as chairman, ending a four-month search after Richard Broadbent resigned amid an accounting scandal.

Allan, 66, will join the board and be appointed chairman on March 1, when Broadbent will step down from the board, Tesco said in a statement.

"I'm very pleased to be taking on this role at such a critical moment for the business and look forward to working with the new executive team and the board," Allan said.

By Jim Haller, NPI

The words “raising rates” are enough to elicit a face-in-palms reaction from any online retailer – especially when it comes to small parcel shipping. Yet, a different reaction may be in order as the United States Postal Service announces its intent to raise rates later this year.

Brentwood, Texas -- Tractor Supply Company will open its 1,400th store, in Eunice, Louisiana, on Feb. 21. The location is one 110 to 115 new stores the retailer plans to open this year.

"We are thrilled to be celebrating another milestone in Tractor Supply's growth story, with the opening of our 1,400thstore," said president and CEO Greg Sandfort. "We believe there is still tremendous expansion potential ahead, and we are excited for the opportunity to serve the rural lifestyle in new markets."