Mass Merchant

ECRM compared retail circular advertising in July 2013 versus July 2014 and noted trends occurring across top retail chains. The start of the back-to-school season saw large decreases in these metrics for both Staples and Walmart across the board. Walmart continued its trend of smaller, less dense, highly-targeted and themed circulars. It barely touched on BTS on the front pages of its July 2013 circulars, with only a small laptop ad and some apparel promotions. 2014 saw a more concentrated effort as early as 7/13, prominently featuring notebooks, glue sticks, and crayons.

Boston -- Walmart continues to maintain its basket price advantage over Target, according to Kantar Retail’s semi-annual pricing study. But while Walmart maintained its lower-priced basket – with a leap even further ahead in non-edible grocery – the retailer’s basket was still only 1% less expensive than Target’s, the smallest price gap since the June 2012 study.  
 

Indianapolis -- Mall owner Simon and payment solution-provider Blackhawk Network have teamed up to offer an enhanced Visa Simon Giftcard at select Simon malls, Premium Outlets and Mills, and online at Simongiftcard.com.

For the first time, the Simon Giftcard will also be made available outside Simon centers through Blackhawk's participating network of grocery stores and other third-party locations.

Office Depot is leveraging a new back-to-school shopping trend report to drive traffic to its stores this back-to-school season.

The survey, commissioned by Office Depot, reports the manner in which parents and students approach back-to-school shopping, including who in the family has the most influence over purchasing decisions and whether shoppers stick to a provided classroom list or add personalized items to their school supplies.

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penney answered Wall Street questions about whether or not the struggling department store retailer could stage a comeback — by posting better-than-expected profit and revenue in the second quarter.

Phoenix -- X Team International partner Velocity Retail Group has completed a lease with At Home for a 104,967-sq.-ft. store in Tempe, Arizona. The new At Home concept is owned and operated by home décor retailer Garden Ridge.
     
A décor superstore that provides selections of patio furniture, wall décor, and decorative accents, rugs and housewares, At Home recently opened at Arizona Mills, a Simon shopping center located at the northeast corner of Baseline Road and Interstate 10.

Herndon, Va. -- Salon Plaza has leased a 7,659-sq.-ft. endcap space next to McAlister’s Deli at Worldgate Centre in Herndon and plans to open in fall 2014. This will be the salon chain’s 21st location nationwide.

Kristin Perry of Rappaport represented the landlord in the transaction. Worldgate Centre features an AMC Theatre and fitness club Sport and Health. Co-tenants include TGI Friday’s, Starbucks, Tara Thai, FedEx Kinkos, Vocelli Pizza and Cold Stone Creamery.

 

Bentonville, Ark. -- A day after announcing a disappointing second quarter, Wal-Mart Stores has made an aggressive holiday promise to its customers: the world’s largest retailer says it will staff every cash register from the day after Thanksgiving through the days just before Christmas during peak shopping times.

Wal-Mart’s "checkout promise" is aimed at addressing lengthy waits in checkout lines.