Mass Merchant

A strong performance at Stein Mart’s Texas locations in August helped to offset sales at the retailer’s more challenged Gulf state locations.

Total sales for month were $86.5 million, a 3.8% increase over total sales of $83.3 million for August last year. Comparable store sales for the month increased 2.5% from comparable store sales for August last year.

Ottawa, Canada - Trying to stay competitive with Amazon.com on price may not be the best path to success for department store and discount retailers. According to pricing analysis of 1,000-plus household goods based on Amazon’s own assortment relative to Kohl’s, Walmart, Target and Macy’s conducted by 360pi and Retail Systems Research from March-June 2014, Kohl’s was consistently 30%-60% above Amazon’s pricing for this sample, but also reported the healthiest financials of the group.

Chain Store Age makes no secret of the fact that we are a retail publication – and have been since 1925. Our readership is retail headquarters executives and our content is directed toward, and influenced by, that very group.

In the September 2014 issue, however, we looked at another group – one that is integrally involved with retailers and often determines the success of a single store or an entire market:  retail brokers.

Dallas -- CBRE’s National Retail Investment Group announced the sale of Centennial Plaza, a 233,797-sq.-ft. power center in Oklahoma City, on behalf of Kimco Realty Corp., to American Realty Capital-Retail Centers of America.

Centennial Plaza, at 100% occupancy, is tenanted by Home Depot, Best Buy, Gordmans and Guitar Center. Home Depot’s Centennial Plaza location is the retailer’s first and only urban location in the city.
 

Walmart has reportedly issued a new dress code and staff members are not happy, according to Gawker.

Complex magazine reported that the new dress code “requires certain employees to wear white or navy blue collared shirts with khaki or pants, capris, or skirts,” according to Walmart human resources executive Barbara Simone.

Kmart is gearing up for the holiday shopping season and reminding customers, including Shop Your Way members, of its No Money Down Layaway program, which is now available.

Atlanta – Havertys Furniture Company Inc. reports its total written business for the third quarter to date of 2014 is up approximately 3.1% from the same period last year and written same-store sales are up approximately 3.5%. This increase was driven by a record setting Labor Day holiday weekend for which total written business was up approximately 7.4% from the same four-day period the prior year.

By Joe Tichar, senior VP of corporate operations, DDR, Beachwood, Ohio

Forward-thinking retailers are increasingly leveraging their brick-and-mortar locations to establish omnichannel models that meet the growing consumer demand for a more convenient, more cost-effective and more personalized shopping experience.