Strategy

Seattle -- Nordstrom Inc. will open its outlet format Nordstrom Rack at The Newbury in Boston’s Back Bay area.

The two-level, 38,000-sq.-ft. store is scheduled to open in spring 2013. It will replace the former Filene’s Basement space.

Currently, Nordstrom opens four full-line stores and four Nordstrom Racks in the Boston market.
 

Warrendale, Pa. -- Rue 21 earned a better-than-expected $9.1 million for the quarter ended July 28, up from $7.7 million in the same quarter last year.

Revenue rose 17% to $202.1 million, from $172.8 million. Same-store sales rose 0.5%, well below analyst expectations.

New York -- The store opening plans of retailers hit a four-year high in July, according to the August edition of the National Retailer Demand Monthly report from RBC Capital Markets and Retail Lease Trac.

Retailers in the RBC database currently plan to open 78,325 stores over the next 24 months, which represents an 11% increase over openings projected at the end of 2011, and a 0.6% increase over June’s level.

New York -- Walgreens will launch a loyalty card on Sept. 16, Reuters reported.

The move follows the chain’s long insistence that it did not need a loyalty card, even as rival CVS Caremark Corp. and Rite Aid Corp had their own successful well-established programs. The CVS ExtraCare loyalty program claims more than 70 million households as members.

Matthews, N.C. -- Family Dollar announced that it has named Holly Shaskey-Platek to the position of senior VP – merchandising. She will lead the home, apparel and seasonal divisions.

Prior to joining Family Dollar in 2008 as a consultant to provide company-wide change management leadership, Holly spent a total of 25 years with Target Corp. and ShopNBC.
 

New York -- Advisors to Supervalu Inc. are asking potential buyers to bid for the entire operation, even as several suitors have inquired about individual parts of the U.S. grocery company, according to a report by Bloomberg News.

In July, Supervalu said it was looking at options for overhauling the company, including a sale. The chain hired Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Greenhill & Co as advisors.
 

The nation’s leading closeout retailer offered a bleak outlook for the remainder of the year following worse than expected second quarter results and announced the departure of its top merchant.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Pacific Sunwear of California reported that net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2012 ended July 28, were $210.3 million versus net sales of $200.9 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2011 ended July 30, 2011.

On a GAAP basis, the xompany reported a loss from continuing operations of $17.5 million, or 26 cents per share, for the second quarter of fiscal 2012, compared with a loss from continuing operations of $17.5 million, or 26 cents per share, for the second quarter of fiscal 2011.

SIDNEY, Neb. — Cabela's has named Sean Baker as president of World's Foremost Bank and will be appointed CEO effective Jan. 1, 2013. Baker will replace Joseph Friebe, whose planned retirement was announced in June.

Walmart.com still has a lot of ground to make up on Amazon.com, but July was a step in the right direction as the company added more unique visitors and grew at a faster pace than Amazon.com.

The number of unique visitors to Walmart.com increased 16.8% I to 45.2 million and placed the company 23 on a top 50 Web properties report compiled monthly by the online measurement firm comScore Media Metrix. During July of 2011, Walmart.com ranked 25^{th with 38.7 million unique visitors.}