Retail

The initiative is a three-year project that entails installing 3,600 York packaged rooftop units (Predator series) to maximize energy savings through more efficient HVAC equipment at stores eight years or older. The York rooftop units feature energy-saving technologies including variable-speed drives, California Title 24-compliant economizers and new energy recovery ventilators (ERV) specifically designed for retailers.

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings has entered the Sunshine State, opening a store in Orlando, Florida. The new location represents the extreme discounter’s 208th store and 18th state of operation. In keeping with the company’s strategy of expanding into contiguous states and new markets, Ollie’s plans to open a total of six to nine stores in the state of Florida this year and 28-32 new stores overall across the eastern half of the United States in 2016.

A company that achieved global fame for its simple glazed doughnuts has been acquired by the owners of a growing coffee empire. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts has agreed to be acquired by JAB Beech Inc., a unit of German investment firm JAB Holding Company, for about $1.35 billion. The deal, which would take Krispy Kreme private, is the most recent in a string of purchases by JAB Holdings, including its acquisition in late 2015 of single-serve coffee maker Keurig Green Mountain.

Abercrombie & Fitch is expanding its presence in the Middle East. The retailer has entered into an agreement with Majid Al Futtaim Fashion to open stores in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. Since 2013, Abercrombie, in partnership with Majid Al Futtaim Fashion, has opened eight stores in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

While some retailers focus on the promise of the Store of Tomorrow, others are using leading-edge technologies to deliver the Store of Today — offering unparalleled customer experience that drives satisfaction, traffic, frequency of visits, and sales. How do they do it?

The likes of Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Best Buy have a new competitor to deal with—J.C. Penny. "The department store retailer on Monday announced a major expansion into home appliances, as well as two new tests in the home area, one involving Ashley Furniture, and the other national carpet and flooring company Empire Today.

Traditional supermarket retailers are facing competition on all fronts, from online pure players, discount grocery chains and from the extreme-value general merchandise retailers (dollar stores). While dollar stores remain a niche segment, consumables are becoming a more important part of the sector, according to a report on forbes.com.

Canadian footwear and accessory retailer The Aldo Group is not ignoring the back end when it comes to supporting seamless commerce. Aldo is deploying the CGS BlueCherry B2B e-commerce solution to enable its buyers to select assortments and receive confirmed orders virtually anywhere and anytime. With more than 2,500 points of sale and nearly 2,000 retail stores across the globe, Aldo is always trying to better engage its large network of wholesale and franchisee retail buyers.