Club & Warehouse

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Same store sales at Walmart's U.S. stores declined 1.4% in the first quarter, but the retailer forecasts comps should rebound during the second quarter. 

Sales were just below Wall Street expectations as the giant retailer struggled with a number of issues that impacted its U.S. sales, from the payroll tax increase to an unseasonably cold spring to delayed tax returns. The discounter also scaled back its earnings expectations for the current three-month period.

LOS GATOS, Calif. — BJ’s Wholesale Club has tapped FoodLink, a fresh food commerce and traceability platform, to assist in the sourcing and purchasing of fresh produce across BJ’s 15-state chain.

Westboro, Mass. -- MICROS-Retail, a division of Micros Systems, announced BJ's Wholesale's successful launch of Micros-Retail's next generation loss prevention and business analytics solution, XBR Ingenium.
   
As an existing user of MICROS-Retail's XBR, BJ's launched a pilot of XBR Ingenium.  After a successful program, BJ's is now deploying Micros-Retail XBR Ingenium company-wide, seeking to increase the investigative capabilities and productivity of its asset protection team.

WESTBORO, Mass. — BJ's Wholesale will leverage Micros-Retail's loss prevention and business analytics solution, XBR Ingenium, to increase its asset protection team’s investigative capabilities and productivity.

Micros-Retail XBR Ingenium will allow BJ’s to generate flexible and behavioral exception reports, so it can focus on key areas of fraudulent activity. The business solution offers an interactive dashboard, so field users can quickly spot high-risk areas in their stores and districts.  

New York -- Officials in Baton Rouge have approved more than $7 million in incentives to bring a Costco store to the Louisiana city, the Associated Press reported.  
   
Costco is expected to open a 150,000-sq-ft. store by next April at the site of a former Coca-Cola bottling facility, the report said.

NEW YORK — The Buckle and Zumiez all reported better-than-expected same-store sales for April, even as concerns about the job market bit into other retailers’ results.

The Buckle, Inc. reported a 6.2% increase in same-store sales for April, well ahead of the 1.5% same-store revenue growth anticipated by Wall Street analysts. The teen apparel retailer also reported year-to-date same-store revenue growth of 1.2% and total sales of $269.7 million, a 2.3% increase. 

New York -- TJX Cos., The Buckle and Zumiez all reported better-than-expected same-store sales for April, even as concerns about the job market bit into other retailers’ results.
   
TJX Cos. said that same-store sales in April were up 8% on strong customer traffic, better than 6.8% increase that analysts had expected. For the four weeks ended May 4, total revenue rose 9% to $2 billion.
   

SALT LAKE CITY — As part of its philanthropic efforts, Walmart is holding a fundraiser between now and Friday, June 21 benefiting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Walmart is inviting customers and Sam’s Club members to make a $1 donation or more at the retailers’ more than 4,600 U.S. locations. Participants can add a “Miracle Balloon” donation during checkout, and 100% of all funds raised will go directly to the member hospital in the area.