Club & Warehouse

Sam’s Club is hoping the popularity of author Nicolas Sparks translates to would-be furniture buyers as the warehouse club has launched a new furniture line with a design aesthetic inspired by Sparks’ latest novel.

Bentonville, Ark. – Minimum wage increases scheduled to take effect in 24 states and Washington, D.C. will affect employees at more than 1,400 Wal-Mart stores and 200 Sam’s Club in the U.S. According to CNN, Wal-Mart said it has less than 6,000 employees currently earning the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour and has already been planning to pay all employees more than the federal minimum wage.  

Issaquah, Wash. – Costco Wholesale Corp. beat Wall Street expectations for net income and sales during the first quarter of fiscal 2015.  Net income totaled $496 million, up 17% from $425 million the same period a year earlier.   Lower opening expenses and higher interest income helped boost profits.   Total revenue grew 7% to $26.87 million from $25.02 million. Total same-store sales rose 5%.

The holiday season started strong at Costco where U.S. same store sales advanced 7 percent during the company’s first quarter ended Nov. 23.

Total company sales during the period increased 7 percent to nearly $26.3 billion from $24.5 billion. Membership income grew slightly slower, advancing 6 percent to $582 million. Same stores sales excluding the effects of the strengthening U.S. dollar and fuel price deflation were 7 percent and U.S. and international locations.

Sam’s Club Travel is the name of the warehouse club operator’s new mobile application that offers interesting new functionality and members only savings.

Sam’s has offered travel services for a long time but the new app is a noteworthy development because it is distinct from the existing Sam’s Club app. Sam’s Club said it is the first mass market retailer to offer members a mobile app exclusively dedicated to leisure and business travel needs.

Bentonville, Ark. - Sam’s Club is introducing a new free Sam’s Club Travel mobile application designed to offer Sam’s Club members savings on hotels, rental cars, vacation homes, and other travel activities. Sam’s Club is the first mass market retailer to offer members a mobile app exclusively dedicated to leisure and business travel needs.   

Walgreens named former Sam’s Club head merchant Linda Filler to the role of president of retail products and chief merchandising officer.

The hire is a positive development for Walgreens given Filler’s diverse background and accomplishments in a consumer packaged goods industry where many are more likely to recognize her by the maiden named Linda Hefner.

Boston - A new study shows just how diluted Black Friday has become to holiday shoppers: Twenty-eight percent of shoppers shopped in stores Nov. 22/Nov. 23 and 34% of shoppers chose to shop in stores the weekend after Black Friday (Nov. 29/Nov. 30), while 25% shopped on Black Friday, according to Kantar Retail.

In other results, 65%  of shoppers surveyed chose not to shop because of crowds while 42% stayed out of stores to avoid traffic.