Seasonal

An article that recently caught my eye adds more evidence to my growing suspicion (and I know I am far from alone in this) that the near-term to mid-term retail outlook might not be quite as positive as we may have thought just a few months ago. The piece, “Gap Stands out Among Retailers in Tough Quarter,” in Women’s Wear Daily highlighted the sobering second-quarter numbers from a long list of big retail brands. As the title implies, Gap, Inc.

Westfield San Francisco Centre has embraced the National Day Golden Week holiday that runs from Oct. 1- Oct. 7 every year — in China.

During Golden Week, more than 120 million residents of the People’s Republic of China travel to visit family and friends in the People’s Republic and overseas. Large numbers visit San Francisco, home of the largest Chinatown outside of Asia.

SPARKS, Md. — McCormick is appealing to football fans who enjoy tailgating, and identified the Top 10 Tastiest Tailgate cities in the U.S. to promote its Grill Mates seasoning.

In a joint venture with Bert Sperling, a leading "Best Places" researcher, McCormick Grill Mates analyzed 31 cities in the U.S. with professional football teams to identify the Top 10 in the country.

PLANO, Texas — As the Lay's Stax brand prepares to mark its 10th anniversary, it is teaming up with the National Football League for its first-ever football-themed promotion. 

Lay’s Stax will host a Game Day Click-Off sweepstakes on its Facebook page, where fans of Thursday Night Football and Lay's Stax crisps will have the chance to engage with the brand, share their love of football and win prizes, including a chance to win tickets to Super Bowl XLVIII in New York/New Jersey.

Washington, D.C. - Import volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to grow 5.1% in September over the same month last year as retailers head into the holiday season. U.S. ports followed by the monthly Global Port Tracker report, released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates, handled 1.43 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in July, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available.

Import volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to grow 5.1% in September over the same month last year as retailers head into the holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. 

U.S. ports followed by the monthly Global Port Tracker report, released by the NRF and Hackett Associates, handled 1.43 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in July, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Shopko has teamed up with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and apparel company West Coast Novelty Group, one of the organization's corporate sponsors, to offer an expanded line of Support the Cure merchandise at all Shopko stores. 

Woonsocket, R.I. – CVS/pharmacy is offering members of its ExtraCare loyalty program double their ExtraBucks quarterly reward earnings between Sept. 16 and Dec. 15. Members can sign up for double earnings in-store or online and receive 4% instead of the usual 2% back on all eligible front-store purchases in the form of “ExtraBucks” that can be spent like cash in the store.

New York -- Target Corp. will follow the lead of several other retailers, including Walmart, and allow shoppers to pick up select goods ordered online in its stores, the Star Tribune reported.

Target will introduce the service, referred to as Buy Online, Pick Up in Store (BOPS), in its hometown Minneapolis market and then expand it to all of its U.S. stores by Black Friday, according to the report.

When Walmart lowered its full year sales forecast last month the company said customer were being cautious with their spending. Maybe so, but that wasn’t the case in new car showrooms were automakers reported record sales and in the process created new holiday headwind for Walmart and other retailers.