Corporate Governance

Profits up at Toys 'R' Us amid restructuring
Cost-cutting efforts ongoing at Toys “R” Us Inc. helped the retailer report a profit in the fourth quarter.

Overall, for the fourth quarter ended Jan. 31, Toys “R” Us reported a profit of $265 million, compared with a year-earlier loss of $210 million.
Amazon is a giant step closer to drone delivery
A few months ago it seemed as though drone delivery was not going to happen for Amazon.com. Now the retailer's dreams of Amazon packages flying through the sky are a lot closer to reality, thanks to the FAA.

Amazon.com has received preliminary approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to research, develop and test drone delivery -- but that doesn't mean customers can expect their orders to arrive by drone anytime soon.

Mattress Firm to open as many as 220 stores

Mattress Firm Holding Corp. is revving up its growth in fiscal 2015, with plans to open as many as 220 new stores this year.
Walmart to hold domestic sourcing event

New York -- Cindi Marsiglio, VP of U.S.manufacturing for Walmart, shared new details about the company's first-of-its-kind event, which is designed to advance the retailer’s $250 billion domestic sourcing agenda. The event is planned for early July in Bentonville, Arkansas.

During a fast-paced presentation Thursday morning organized by a group called Doing Business in Bentonville, Marsiglio shared wide-ranging insights regarding the company’s 10 year, $250 billion domestic sourcing commitment unveiled in January 2013.
Kantar Retail: Walmart leads Target in one-stop basket price study

Boston -- Walmart narrowly leads the one-stop basket assessment versus Target, according to the latest Kantar Retail basket pricing study, which examines a basket of grocery, HBA, and general merchandise items. Study findings indicate Target’s overall basket is 3.5% more expensive than Walmart’s and Walmart leads in each of the sub-baskets, with the strongest lead in general merchandise.
Notable findings from the study include:
Sears expects REIT by June 1, defends early vendor payment

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – Sears Holding Corp. expects to form a real estate investment trust (REIT) within a few months and sees nothing wrong with paying vendors early. In a public blog post, Rob Schrieshiem, executive VP and CFO of Sears, said the company expects to form an REIT to purchase between 200 and 300 stores by June 1, 2015.
Vertical construction set to begin on Celebration Point, in Gainesville, Fla.

Gainesville, Fla. -- The developer of Celebration Pointe, a 225-acre mixed-used regional development located in Gainesville, Florida announced that its work on the public infrastructure improvement phase of the $200 million project is on schedule. Celebration Pointe partner Ralph Conti made the announcement.
Lowe's to give makeovers to "10 Bleakest Cities of 2015"

New York -- Lowe’s is looking to put smile on the face of residents who live in the 10 U.S. cities hardest hit by this past winter by giving the areas a makeover. Lowe's said it will deploy Lowe’s "Heroes," or employee volunteers, to visit the "10 Bleakest Cities of 2015" to complete makeover projects that have been neglected or delayed because of extreme winter conditions. Volunteers will complete projects such as painting, landscaping, creating outdoor rooms and adding curb appeal throughout the spring season.
Smart & Final swings to Q4 profit; to accelerate store expansion

Commerce Calif. -- Value-oriented food retailer Smart & Final Stores Inc. plans to accelerate its expansion after posting double-digit sales growth in the fourth quarter.
Smart & Final swings to Q4 profit; to accelerate store expansion

Commerce Calif. -- Value-oriented food retailer Smart & Final Stores Inc. plans to accelerate its expansion after posting double-digit sales growth in the fourth quarter.
Study: App security remains risky

Armonk, N.Y. – Mobile app use continues growing rapidly, but businesses are not keeping pace with security. According to new research from IBM and Ponemon Institute, nearly 40% of more than 400 large companies studied, including many in the Fortune 500, aren’t taking the right precautions to secure the mobile apps they build for customers.
French office supply retailer unifies supply chain with Symphony ETC

Paris – French office supply retailer Bruneau has selected the Symphony EYC G.O.L.D. unified retail platform to optimize its supplier and inventory performance. Bruneau plans to deploy G.O.L.D. master data management, merchandise management, supply chain management and warehouse replenishment.