Strategy

Washington, D.C. -- Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 1.6% in July compared with the same month last year, and modest year-over-year increases are expected through the holiday season shipping cycle, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released Tuesday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

New York -- Supermarket operator Bi-Lo has installed insulated glass doors to previously open Hussman cases in three Bi-Lo stores in Tennesse. The retro-fit doors, RemiSafe, are from Remis America, a joint venture between, DEHCO, Inc., Elkhart, Ind., and Remis GmbH of Cologne, Germany. 

Atlanta -- Stibo Systems announced that Best Buy Canada has selected Stibo Systems to optimize its customer’s online and mobile e-commerce experience.

Best Buy Canada, which operates roughly 225 consumer electronics stores under the brands Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile, and Future Shop, will use Stibo Systems’ Step platform to support their multichannel efforts and to streamline item setup and data management for the English-Canadian and French-Canadian versions of www.bestbuy.ca and www.futureshop.ca.
 

New York -- J.C. Penney Co. on Tuesday announced that it is eliminating approximately 350 positions at its headquarters in Plano, Texas, completing a reorganization of its corporate office that it said was designed to create a leaner and more simplified operating structure.

New York – A study released Tuesday by Accenture found that, in the grocery arena, store brands continue to steal sales from brand-name products.

According to Accenture’s poll of 500 U.S. consumers, 64% said their grocery carts were at least half full of store-brand products, and 39% said they have increased their purchase of store-brands in recent years as a result of the tough economic times.

Dallas – Tuesday Morning Corp. reported Tuesday that sales for the quarter ended June 30 edged up 0.8% to $196.4 million, compared with $194.8 million in the year-ago period.

Same-store sales rose 0.2%, comprised of a 2.7% decrease in traffic and a 2.9% increase in ticket. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, net sales were $812.8 million compared to $821.1 million for fiscal 2011.

Based upon the results of the fourth quarter, Tuesday Morning said it expects to narrow its Q4 loss from last year’s quarter.

Dallas – The Container Store said Tuesday it will open three Florida locations in 2013 – in Orlando, Tampa and Boca Raton – joining its two existing Sunshine State stores in Hallandale Beach and Miami.

The Orlando store is slated to open spring 2013 and occupy 25,000 sq. ft. in the Mall at Millenia. The Tampa store, also 25,000 sq. ft., will be located one block south of International Plaza Mall. An opening date is still to be determined.

Mexico City – Walmex, Mexico’s largest retailer, reported Monday that same-store sales for the month of June rose 5.3%. Total sales in June jumped 15%.

The retailer opened 26 stores and restaurants in June, after announcing it was reducing planned store openings to between 325 and 335 this year from a previously announced 410 to 436 stores.
 

Dallas – Loyalty and marketing solution-provider Alliance Data Systems Corp. said Tuesday that it has signed a multi-year renewal agreement to continue providing the private label credit card program for Omaha-Neb.-based Gordmans Stores, which operates 78 stores in 46 markets across 18 states.

Additionally, Gordmans and Alliance Data have begun a full rollout of Alliance Data's in-store, tablet-based mobile technology to drive account acquisition efforts following a successful pilot earlier in 2012.
 

Raleigh, N.C. – Kerr Drug announced Monday it has promoted Mark Gregory to the position of senior VP store operations, effectively immediately.

Gregory, who was previously VP pharmacy and government affairs, will report to president and CEO Anthony Civello.