Mass Merchant

York, Pa. -- As part of a real estate realignment strategy, The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. on Tuesday said it will close two of its department stores, one in Pennsylvania and the other in Ohio, when their leases expire in early 2012.

The company said it plans to close its store in the West Manchester Mall in York, Pa., in January, and its Elder-Beerman store in the Northwest Mall in Dayton, Ohio, which will shut down in February.

Kansas City, Mo. -- H&R Block said it will provide tax preparation services in an estimated 300 Wal-Mart locations nationwide beginning in December.

“This new partnership with the world's largest retailer allows us to serve more customers at times and locations that fit their busy lifestyles,” said H&R Block president and CEO Bill Cobb.

H&R Block will offer its products and services at its kiosks in Wal-Mart.
 

The proverbial race to the bottom is nearing its conclusion as evidenced this week by Target’s decision to open Denver area stores on Thanksgiving Day. This development was overshadowed somewhat by the retailer’s decision to open stores at midnight on Black Friday, but it is no less significant simply because only one market is involved.

New York City -- Walmart is scaling back from its round-the-clock, 24-hour operating schedule at select U.S. locations, according to USA Today.

The decision on whether to keep stores open 24 hours is a store-to-store decision, the report said, and does not mean the chain as a whole is retreating from its 24-hour format.

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New York City -- Walmart will open its first store in the United States that utilizes all-LED lighting on the interior. The store, a Walmart Neighborhood Market, is located at 2111 N. Amidon, Wichita, Kan. It will open on Nov. 2.

The company said it expects to see a 40% savings on the energy-efficient lights, which also last at least six years beyond conventional lighting, reducing maintenance costs.

News spread quickly last week that Target stores would open at midnight on Black Friday, and that was the idea. The company earned a tremendous amount of media exposure by announcing its earliest ever opening time and joined the ranks of other retailers eager to accommodate the desires of millions of Americans by opening as early as possible on Black Friday.

Any given week Target’s circular is filled with various offers of free gift cards designed to incent shoppers to purchase key items.  Some of the offers can be quite generous, as was the case this week with a $50 gift card available to those who purchase an Xbox 360 bundle or a $20 gift card with the purchase of KitchenAid appliances priced at $99.99. The most common gift card denomination is $5, and it tends to be offered on multiple items from the same manufacturer or brand family such as two Gillette razors or three Dial products.

New York City -- Macy’s announced that its namesake stores across the country will open at midnight on Nov. 25, the midnight of Thanksgiving night, to kick off the 2011 holiday shopping season. It is the first time that Macy’s has opened its doors chainwide at midnight. The company’s Bloomingdale’s unit will open its doors on Black Friday at 8 a.m.

Last year, Macy's opened eight stores at midnight. The rest of the stores opened at 4 a.m.