Marketing Tactics

Cumberland Farms, a convenience store fixture in New England and central Florida for half a century, once fielded more than 1,000 stores. Today it has pared down to 600 stores as it transforms itself from a strip-center and gas station dairy store to a chain of freestanding, modern C-stores providing food service and gasoline, along the lines of Quik Check and Wawa.  

On March 7, Edward Stack, CEO and chairman of Dick’s Sporting Goods, announced the company is dropping 20% of its brand offerings. This news is part of a larger redirection for the sporting goods retailer, one designed to optimize its inventory for increased sales.  

Retailers looking for a competitive advantage in these competitive times should consider their restrooms.  

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings Inc. is on track for store growth in 2017.   The retailer, which beat the Street in the fourth quarter, ended the year with a total of 234 stores in 19 states, an increase of 15.3% year over year. It expects to open 33 to 35 stores in 2017, with no planned closures.   Ollie’s reported fiscal fourth-quarter net income increased 52% to $24.4 million, surpassing Wall Street expectations.   

A former Spice Girl has a new career.   Emma Bunton, a.k.a. Baby Spice, is the co-founder of a new environmentally-friendly diaper and skincare online store, according to Retail Gazette.   

Kroger Co. wants to give its employees a voice — and now they have one.   Eager to highlight the accomplishments, milestones, and personal connections made by its associates, Kroger Co. introduced Krogersteries.com, a website dedicated to its employees’ contributions, and the impact they make on the company.   

For the first time ever in 2016, U.S. restaurant sales eclipsed grocery store sales — and that’s good news for retail centers    The amount of space dedicated to food in retail centers has grown from 5% in 2007 to 15% today.  And the trend is expected to increase to 20% by 2025, according to a study, “The Successful Integration of Food & Beverage within Retail Real Estate,” from the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).  

A few select malls will be the benefactors of what might prove to be the entertainment sensation of the year — a virtual reality version of "Justice League 2017."   IMAX Corp. and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment have announced a virtual reality co-venture that will issue three interactive VR versions of upcoming Warner Bros. blockbusters. "Justice League" will be the first, scheduled to hit IMAX cinemas for the holiday season, to be followed by "Aquaman" and a yet-to-be-determined film franchise.

Hy-Vee shoppers will soon be able to buy new clothes while they grocery shop.    Two Hy-Vee locations in Nebraska will soon feature F&F clothing boutiques through the Iowa-based retailer’s franchise agreement with the British clothing line owned by supermarket company Tesco, reported The Anchorage Press.  

The department store chain is putting a new spin on formalwear rentals.   Through its partnership with tuxedo rental startup The Black Tux, Nordstrom hopes to attract male millennials to its new formalwear showrooms in six stores, according to ReCode.