Mass Merchant

East Harford, Conn. — Horizon Group Properties has announced an agreement to develop a new outlet center in East Hartford, Conn. The 350,000-sq.-ft. Outlet Shoppes at Rentschler Field is scheduled to open in the summer of 2016. Rentschler Field is a historic airstrip located near downtown Hartford.

The Hartford metropolitan area has 2.2 million residents and an average annual household income above the national average. No outlet shopping centers currently serve the market.

Finance executives who participated in professional services firm BDO’s annual CFO survey expect 8.2% growth in online sales this year and not surprisingly plan to increase investments in mobile capabilities.

Mobile and online sales will continue to drive growth for retailers in 2014, the firm said. However, now that e-commerce has firmly taken root in the retail industry, growth is beginning to stabilize. As a result, about 64% of CFOs said online sales will grow in the coming year, a figure below the 74% who expressed that sentiment the prior year.

Washington, D.C. - The National Retail Federation (NRF) is publicly opposing any change in current regulations regarding overtime pay. In a prepared statement issued in response to reports that President Obama will propose a change in federal overtime rules, David French, senior VP for government relations for the NRF, said current overtime rules have been in effect for 10 years and are working.

What’s next for Walmart under the leadership of new CEO Doug McMillon is the focus of the Spring edition of Walmart Supplier News.

Change is in the air at Walmart as the Doug McMillon era begins. No company makes a change at the top out of a desire to maintain the status quo, and McMillon has already indicated there are changes to come.

Minneapolis – Target Corp. reportedly had early notice of the holiday data breach that exposed the personal and financial information of millions of customers but did not act upon it. According to Bloomberg, a $1.6 million security application called FireEye notified Target of a possible intrusion in to its network, but the retailer failed to respond.

Walmart deepened its commitment to domestic sourcing and supply chain efficiency on Thursday when Walmart U.S. president and CEO Bill Simon unveiled a first-of-its-kind RFP process and a new Innovation Fund.

Both revelations came at an event Walmart holds each spring in Orlando known as the Year Beginning Meeting, or simply YBM. While much of the several day event is focused on Walmart store managers, a portion is devoted to trading partners who are given the opportunity to hear from top executives.

Washington, D.C. – Lingering bad weather in much of the country did not keep consumers from shopping during February 2014. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), February 2014 retail sales, which exclude automobiles, gas stations and restaurants, increased 0.2% adjusted month-to-month and 2.3% unadjusted year-over-year.

Express has enlisted swimsuit model Kate Upton as its brand ambassador, making her the first celebrity spokesperson to be a part of the brand's ad campaigns in the last decade.

To kick off the partnership, Upton will host the Express Spring-Summer 2014 Runway Show at the Raleigh Hotel in Miami Beach, Fla., Thursday, March 13. The retailer will then debut Upton in advertising campaigns beginning fall 2014.