News Briefs

Nearly four-in-10 consumers return an item they purchased online at least once a month, according to a new survey.

Post-purchase intelligence platform Narvar’s 8th annual State of Returns Report found that 39% of consumers make monthly returns, and in 2023 alone, returned merchandise in the United States reached $744 billion. The report noted that 46% of consumers purchase items online once a week or more, and 87% do at least half of their shopping online.

Narvar also found that with growing returns, return fraud is becoming an increasingly severe issue. Nearly six-in-10 (57%) shoppers admitted to engaging in fraudulent returns at least once. This year, return fraud incidents rose 16 percentage points to 52%, making it a critical area for retailers to address.

[READ MORE: Adobe: Mobile shopping breaks records with $280 billion so far in 2024]

For retailers, Narvar's data shows that 60% of consumers are open to exchanges or store credit instead of full refunds if the process is quick and convenient. Younger consumers (ages 18-29) are more likely to favor instant refunds or exchanges, while older shoppers prioritize convenient and low cost return methods.

“The returns process is often overlooked, but it holds incredible potential for driving customer loyalty and lifetime value,” said Amit Sharma, CEO of Narvar. “As our research shows, retailers who invest in optimizing their returns experience can transform this traditionally costly and burdensome process into a significant growth opportunity."

The 2024 State of Returns Report is based on a randomized survey of 1,924 U.S. consumers between the ages of 18-75. 

Chicken Salad Chick is continuing to expand its store count in the Lone Star State.

The fast-casual chicken salad chain is set to open its fourth location in San Antonio, Texas’ second-largest city. The new store will open at the Road Runner Creek shopping center, and feature dine-in and carry-out services, as well as a patio for outdoor dining.

As of the beginning of this year, Chicken Salad Chick operated 30 stores in Texas. The chain agreed in January to open 21 new stores in the state over five years through four multi-unit agreements.

"My partners and I have lived in the San Antonio area for the past 25 years and are excited to see it continuing to grow and support local small businesses like ours," said James Oberg, co-owner of the Chicken Salad Chick stores in San Antonio. "Guests at our Stone Oak, Westover Hills, and New Braunfels restaurants have been asking us to open more Chicken Salad Chicks closer to their neighborhoods. We love the opportunity to bring our made-from-scratch favorites and culture of service with heart to even more people in our community."

[READ MORE: Chicken Salad Chick to open first New Orleans locations]

To celebrate the grand opening on Aug. 28, the first guest in line will receive one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week for an entire year. The next 99 guests in line receive one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month for a year.

Founded in Auburn, Ala. in 2008, Chicken Salad Chick has grown to more than 260 restaurants in 19 states.

Floor & Decor has entered a new state on the East Coast.

The Atlanta-based specialty retailer of hard-surface flooring opened its first warehouse in Rhode Island on Aug. 22. Located at the Cowesett Corners Shopping Center in Warwick, the store will feature 1 million sq. ft. of in-stock flooring materials, and offer free design services with the help of a dedicated team of 50 full- and part-time associates.

“We’re thrilled to announce our first store location in Rhode Island,” said Mike Falco, Floor & Decor’s chief executive merchant. “For more than two decades, Floor & Decor has had the opportunity to serve professionals and homeowners throughout the nation, and we are excited to expand our footprint in the Rhode Island market with this new location. We look forward to becoming part of the community and welcoming our newest neighbors into our store and making their renovation journeys easier, inspired and more affordable.”

[READ MORE: First Look: Floor & Decor opens first NYC store]

In celebration of the grand opening, Floor & Decor is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 29, at 10 a.m. with the Chamber of Commerce of Central Rhode Island. In addition, guests can enjoy light refreshments while touring the new store location. Floor & Decor will partner with Smell D Roses, Café Tempo Coffee House, Sugar Mama’s Sweets and Treats, and Jack’s Snacks to promote the new store opening. The first 200 customers to the new store will be treated to a flower bar, sweets, dog treats and more.

Founded in 2000, Floor & Decor operates more than 230 warehouse-format stores and five design studios across 36 states.

Casual dining chain Tony Roma’s has promoted its interim CEO.

Mohaimina “Mina” Haque, Esq., has been appointed to the chief executive role after serving as Tony Roma’s outside counsel since 2021, managing global legal matters and providing strategic guidance. A member of the Forbes Business Council, Haque has an expertise in business and franchise law, and founded her own law firm in 2019.

"I’m truly honored to lead Tony Roma's through this exciting chapter as we’ve already made incredible strides,” said Haque. “I’m eager to continue building on this momentum, reinvigorating the passion and innovation that has made Tony Roma’s a household name for generations.”

Haque was named interim CEO for the chain, which specializes in ribs, steak, seafood and more, in June of last year. Tony Roma’s says she helped reshape the company's Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) initiatives, and laid the groundwork for Tony Roma’s future growth. As the company's first female CEO, Haque has been at the forefront of “encouraging innovation and sustainability” within the company.

[READ MORE: Nation's largest restaurant chains increase units by 2% in 2023]

"I've spent the past year studying the challenges that our industry faces and implementing targeted solutions," Haque added. "The strategies we've executed at Tony Roma's, including operational optimization and adapting to changing consumer preferences, can serve as valuable lessons for the wider restaurant sector. By adopting these approaches, our goal is to improve our franchisees’ viability and success in the long term."

Founded in 1972, Tony Roma’s operates 86 locations in 20 countries worldwide, with 11 in the United States.

HBC, the Canadian parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue and Hudson’s Bay, is one step closer to acquiring a premier luxury brand.

HBC has announced the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of in connection with the companies' previously announced transaction through which HBC will acquire Neiman Marcus Group NMG for $2.65 billion.

The expiration of the HSR Act waiting period satisfies a closing condition for the transaction, which remains subject to other customary closing conditions, including approval by the Federal Trade Commission. Until closing, the companies will continue to operate separately.

In July 2024, HBC entered into a $2.65 billion agreement to buy Dallas-based retailer Neiman Marcus Group in a deal valued at $2.65 billion. Amazon is among the investors in the deal. 

[READ MORE: Parent company of Saks to acquire Neiman Marcus in blockbuster deal]

The combined company, to be called Saks Global, will include the Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks Off 5th Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman brands, each of which will continue operations under their own brand names. It will be led by Marc Metrick, the CEO of Saks.com. 

The combined company would have only two real competitors in the high-end U.S. department store market: Bloomingdale's, which is owned by Macy's Inc., and Nordstrom. 

Reports of a possible Saks and Neiman’s merger have circulated for years. But the latest negotiations picked up heat about a year ago, with two companies engaged in serious discussions for months.

New data from Mastercard shows that online and in-store sales rose in July, partially due to back-to-school shopping.

Mastercard’s SpendingPulse insights for July showed U.S. total retail sales (excluding automobiles) increased for both online (+8.2%) and in-store (+2.9%) retail sales compared with the same time last year.

While the back-to-school shopping season got off to a solid start, there was some evidence of consumers holding back spending earlier in the month as they waited for promotions to kick-in mid-July. Online apparel sales were up +5.4% compared to July 2023, an uptick that happened in the second half of the month. Total apparel sales last month were fairly flat year-over-year.

[READ MORE: The most popular back-to-school retailer is…]

Consumers also enjoyed dining out in July as restaurant sales were up 2.9% year-over-year. Grocery also saw positive growth, up 2.4% year-over-year.

Mastercard’s data echoes several other recent reports that showed increased sales in July. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, core retail sales (excludes automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants) rose 0.4% from June to July and 5.2% year-over-year. Core retail sales were up 3.4% year-over-year for the first seven months of the year.

Data from Brick Meets Click/Mercatus’ monthly survey showed that online grocery sales increased 9.2% in July over last year. Delivery sales surged 22% in the month, aided by ongoing promotional efforts. Ship-to-home also posted strong results, climbing 6%, and pickup remained steady year-over-year.