Mass Merchant

For all the buzz about buy-online-pickup-in-store, not that many retailers are actually deploying the service.   

Is Amazon looking for a supermarket partner in Europe?   Privately held French supermarket operator Leclerc has been approached by Amazon over possible logistics partnerships, reported Reuters.    “Yes, we have been approached by Amazon,” Michel-Edouard Leclerc, who heads the company, told Reuters.   

Target Corp. is testing curbside pickup in its home base.   The discounter has launched the service, called Drive Up, at its stores in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The retailer described the program as the latest example of how Target is using its stores as hubs to help customers shop “on their own terms.”  

Walmart is determined not to be bested by Amazon when it comes to same-day delivery.   The discounter announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Parcel, a last-mile delivery startup that specializes in delivery of perishable items and general merchandise to customers in New York City. Operating out of a warehouse in Brooklyn, Parcel delivers goods the same-day, overnight and in scheduled two-hour windows, providing customers with live updates via text messages throughout the delivery process.   

As Whole Foods Market continues to slash prices at its stores, the chain is attracting competitors’ shoppers — including those from Walmart.   This was according to “Competitive Impact of Lower Prices at Whole Foods,” a report from data intelligence firm Thasos Group.   

Amazon is exploring its next grocery opportunity — but not in the United States.    The online giant is looking for physical store locations in France, especially Paris. French newspaper Le Monde, which first broke the story, said Amazon has approached various French supermarket operators — including Groupe Casino, Intermarche and Systeme U — about setting up distribution deals or making an acquisition in the country, according to CNBC.  

As department stores continue to falter and Amazon continues to grow and the “Malls are Dead” headlines continue to proliferate in the general press, one glaring fact rears its head: We built way, way, way too many malls to begin with. Average retail square footage per person in America, by several accounts, is four times that of other industrialized nations like the United Kingdom and Japan.

Nordstrom is looking to appeal to a broader audience.    The retailer on Monday called on top brands to expand their size ranges by adding more items in sizes 14, 16 and 18, along with smaller sizes zero and 2. Nordstrom also said that it is launching an "extended sizing" initiative, beginning with its new store at Westfield Century City, Los Angeles.