Strategy

By Ulf Mattsson, Protegrity

Plano, Texas  -- J.C. Penney is reflecting in a post-holiday glow and feeling bullish about its business going forward after reporting a 3.7% increase in same-store sales during the holidays (the nine week period from November through December). The retailer also said that it expects its fourth-quarter comparable sales will be at the top end of its forecast range of a 2% to 4% gain.

Leonard Lieberman, former chairman and CEO of Supermarkets General, which owns Pathmark, died at his home in Hoboken, N.J., on Jan. 2, according to an obituary on NJ.com. He was 85.

According to the obituary, his wife, Arlene, said the cause of death was heart failure.

Online warehouse club operator Green Polka Dot Box has a quirky name, but shoppers don’t seem to mind as the natural foods retailer’s December sales increased 65 percent.

"Based on early sales results, we anticipate that customer growth in this first month of the year will increase from the current level of approximately 4,200 to more than 6,000," said Rod Smith, CEO of the company. "And that we will see corresponding increases in monthly sales in January.”

Merrimack, N.H. - Brookstone is unveiling its "I Launched at Brookstone!" marketing campaign to promote new homegrown products, introduce the new tech products from startup companies, and meet startup companies looking for a way to bring their products to market. Brookstone is able to develop and market startup products with in-house design, packaging, marketing, retail, e-commerce and wholesale teams

As it seeks to further improve its digital interaction with customers, Walgreens has chosen Qualcomm as its partner for device connectivity with the drugstore chain's mobile and web applications, as well as its Balance Rewards program. 

New York -- U.S. mediators are joining the labor talks at West Coast ports in an attempt to jumpstart the stalled negotiations between the powerful International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA). The U.S. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service announced its involvement in the talks late on Monday.

“We are prepared and ready to render prompt assistance,” Allison Beck, acting director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, said in a statement.

New York -- Leonard Lieberman, former chairman and CEO of Supermarkets General, which owns Pathmark, died at his home in Hoboken, N.J., on Jan. 2, according to an obituary on NJ.com. He was 85. The cause of death was heart failure.