As H&M braces for the opening of its first Arket store, it is already putting a plan in motion for its second location.   The fast-fashion chain announced in March that is plans to launch its new brand, Arket, in early fall. Arket, H&M’s first new brand in three years, will feature merchandise men, women and children, and a smaller, curated assortment of home goods.  

For the second time in less than three years, Kmart was hit by a malicious hack.   On Wednesday, May 31, Kmart’s parent company, Sears Holdings revealed that the chain was the victim of a security incident. The company became aware of the attack, which involved unauthorized credit card activity, following certain customer purchases made at some of its Kmart stores. Shoppers were alerted to the breach via email Wednesday evening.   

Amazon is preparing to expand its fulfillment capabilities in Georgia.   The online giant will open a new 850,000-sq.-ft. distribution center in Jefferson, Georgia. The facility will employ 1,000 full-time employees. The fulfillment center will pick, pack and ship large items, including household furniture, sporting equipment and gardening tools, among other merchandise. The facility will be the second in Georgia’s Jackson County, and the fourth in the state.   

Higher customer spending and lower advertising costs not only boosted Dollar General Corp.’s profits, but contributed to better-than-expected first quarter earnings.   For the period ended May 5, the discounter’s net sales increased by 6.5% to $5.61 billion, compared to $5.27 billion in first quarter 2016. Net income fell to $279.5 million, or $1.02 per share from $295.1 million, or $1.03 per share, a year earlier. However, this still beat the average analysts' estimate of $1 per share, according to Thomson Reuters.

Wages

Federal $15/Hr Minimum Wage . As promised, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders with support from Democratic Leadership introduced a bill this week to raise the federal hourly minimum wage to $15 by 2024 to index it to inflation starting in 2025. Passage is highly unlikely, although Democratic leadership has vowed to make the Fight for $15 a larger focus of the party platform.
 

CVS Pharmacy opened its first store in the Centennial State.    CVS Pharmacy’s newest location resides in Parker, Colorado. It is the first of three stores slated to open in the greater Denver market this year.  

Despite a rough first fiscal quarter, Express remains committed to its ongoing plan to manage costs, optimize its store fleet and improve profitability.   For the quarter ended April 29, the specialty apparel retailer posted a net loss of $4.5 million, or $0.06 per share. This included a net negative $0.03 per share impact related to certain discrete tax items and the exit of Canada.   

RadioShack Corp. has entered into the newest chapter of its financial saga.   The company, which recently filed for bankruptcy protection, closed 1,000 stores over the Memorial Day weekend. This move leaves the chain with a mere 70 company-owned stores and 500 dealer stores in operation across the U.S., according to Fortune.  

Fred Segal is designing its new flagship to be more than a just “a store.” Instead, it’s creating “a style and design laboratory.”  

Amazon’s newest win aims to further improve how it delivers packages.   The online giant won a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on May 30, for an “aerial package delivery system.” While Amazon is no stranger to using drones, the company’s newest air-based endeavor raises the bar another notch.