Inter Ikea Systems BV

A wholesale club giant beats out specialty retailers to rank as the nation's favorite home furnishings retailer.    Costco Wholesale Corp. is ranks first among consumers when it comes to home furnishings, according to a study by Market Force Information. With a composite loyalty score of 72%, Costco earned the top spot. But Ikea was a close second, with a score of 70%.    

A smaller-format, neighborhood-oriented retailer beat out big-box competitors to rank as the nation's favorite home improvement retailer in a just-released study.    Ace Hardware, known for its neighborly service and an intense focus on the customer experience, earned the top spot, with a composite loyalty score of 63%, in a study by Market Force Information.   

The chief executive of a regional supermarket chain ranks among the nation's highest-rated CEOs.   Charles C. Butt, CEO of H-E-B, based in Austin, Texas, was the only retail chief executive to crack the top 20 of Glassdoor's annual Employee Choice Awards, which honor the 100 highest rated CEOs of large companies across the United States. Butt ranked #16. (The number one position was held by Benno Dorer, CEO of Clorox.)   

Ikea is getting in on the online marketplace game.   The home furnishings giant is embarking on a test that will focus on selling its products on websites other than its own. This move will get merchandise in front of more online customers, according to Reuters.  

Ikea’s next solar-powered store is in the works.   The home furnishings giant’s future Jacksonville, Florida store, slated to open in the fall, will be the newest location to feature a solar power system. Panel installation will begin this summer, and is expected to be complete by early fall. This will be Ikea’s fifth solar array in the state of Florida, according to the retailer.  

Ikea is looking to open its second location in Tennessee.   The home furnishings chain plans to submit plans to the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee, for a store in the Nashville area. Construction of the 341,000-sq.-ft. proposed Ikea could begin in spring with an opening in summer 2020.  

Twenty retail executives traveled to the nation's capitol on Wednesday to voice their opposition to the proposed border adjustment tax (BAT).   

Ikea announced last week it would build a new location adjacent to a CBL property outside Raleigh, and this week CBL announced it would capitalize on that occasion to transform its Cary Towne Center into a mixed-use project.   CBL has been working with the town of Cary — an affluent and growing community in the Research Triangle — to start the zoning process to allow the construction of a multi-phase renovation of the property. Plans call for a mix of high-end retail, dining, entertainment, residential, office, and green space.

Ikea is looking to expand in presence in North Carolina.   The retailer said it is submitting plans to the Town of Cary, N.C., for a potential Raleigh-area store, which would be the second Ikea location in the state. The proposed 15-acre site would be located adjacent to the existing Cary Towne Center, approximately 12 miles west of downtown Raleigh and two miles from downtown Cary.  

When shoppers talk about brands, they usually do it offline.   That’s according to a study by Engagement Labs that measured the performance of 60 brands with respect to social media and word of mouth conversations. Amazon came out on top in the retail and apparel category, followed by Nike and Nordstrom.