Strategy

Katy, Texas -- Houston-area sports retailer Academy Sports + Outdoors announced Tuesday that it will enter the Atlanta market with a new store opening on April 1.

The 70,000-sq.-ft. store is located in McDonough, and is the chain’s fourth store in Georgia.

Washington, D.C. -- The nation’s court is set to hear arguments on Tuesday in a decade-old legal fight that could cost Wal-Mart Stores billions of dollars if the 500,000 women claiming sex bias are allowed to band together in a class action.

Wal-Mart is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to end the massive sex discrimination lawsuit in which the women are claiming that the retailer favors men over women in pay and promotions.
 

NEW YORK — The share of private-label brands and products will double to 50% by 2025, thanks to a continued emphasis made by retailers.

In a new report released by Rabobank's Food and Agribusiness Research division, author Sebastiaan Schreijen noted that national brands and smaller, secondary brands (referred to as "A" and "B" brands, respectively) will prompt an intense price competition and therefore will cause the private-label market to become chock-full of higher-quality "B"-brand products at lower prices.

SALISBURY, N.C. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Food Lion Family, Bloom and Bottom Dollar Food with its 10th consecutive Energy Star award. The company was one of 46 organizations recognized in the sustained excellence category and among 111 overall 2011 ENERGY STAR award winners chosen from more than 20,000 partners in the ENERGY STAR program.

SAN JOSE, Calif. & KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.  -- Ebay Inc. announced that it has agreed to acquire GSI Commerce, a leading provider of e-commerce and interactive marketing services, for $29.25 a share, or total consideration of approximately $2.4 billion. The acquisition, which will be financed with cash and debt, is expected to close in the third quarter of 2011.

In a decision that is sending waves across the national retail industry, the California Supreme Court recently held that ZIP codes constitute “personal identification information” under the Song-Beverly Credit Card Act. The decision, Pineda v. Williams-Sonoma Stores Inc., generally will expose retailers who request such information from customers paying with a credit card to penalties of up to $1,000 per request.

NEW YORK — Royal Ahold’s Peapod online grocery service is expanding in New York, according to published reports.

According to the reports, the new service, Peapod by Stop & Shop, will fulfill orders using the existing warehouse presence of Ahold supermarket banner Stop & Shop, which operates several stores in the city. In addition to groceries, Peapod also offers numerous health and beauty products.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Brown-Forman announced today the appointment of Lawson Whiting as managing director Western Europe, based in London, effective May 1.

The Target brand was a big winner over the weekend, as Dario Franchitti piloted the number10 car of Target Chip Gansassi Racing to victory in the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The race through the streets of downtown St. Petersburg, Fl, consisted of 100 laps over a 1.8 mile, 14 turn course, and the distinctive red and white Target car was featured extensively during television coverage. To watch highlights of the race, click here.

Shoppers in Charlotte, Columbus, Portland, Fresno, Norfolk and New Orleans are gaining access to a new alternative for food and consumables, as Target’s PFresh prototype arrives in those markets through a combination of recent remodeling activity and upcoming store openings.