Mass Merchant

Just as Amazon transformed e-commerce through its convenience, assortment and ease of use, look for the pairing of Jet.com and Walmart to introduce additional completion in the online shopping space that will give more options to consumers. Both companies stand to gain exposure to more and different customers as well as benefits in terms of service, delivery, and technological enhancements.   

Dollar Tree will eliminate some 370 positions as part of a corporate restructuring related to its acquisition of Family Dollar last year.   The cuts, which include 100 vacant positions at its Family Dollar store support center in Matthews, North Carolina, are part of the chain’s ongoing efforts to integrate its support functions through a shared services model.  

Grandin Road will step into the physical space in what promises to be a frightening debut.   The direct retailer of home furnishings and décor will open a Halloween pop-up at Macy’s flagship in Herald Square in New York City. The 1,400-sq.-ft. shop will showcase Grandin Road’s Halloween decoration collection, which has grown steadily over the past decade.  

The first phase of NewMark Merrill’s redevelopment of the Village at the Peaks in Longmont, Colorado — a 500,000-sq.-ft. lifestyle center — has been completed.   The company purchased the 50% vacant Twin Peaks Mall in 2012 for $8.5 million and has since pumped $90 million into construction of the new project in a private partnership with the city of Longmont that included a $32 million public bond.  

Walmart is testing a new scheduling system designed to improve peak-hour scheduling and gives its employees more certainty about their job schedules, the Associated Press reported.   The system was rolled out to the chain’s 650 Neighborhood Market stores in July, and could eventually be deployed across Walmart’s entire U.S. store network, according to the report.  

The Cato Corp. reported sales of $61.2 million for the four weeks ended July 30, down 8% from the same period a year ago.     Same-store sales for the month were down 10% from the prior year.   On a quarterly basis, Cato sales for the second quarter fell 5% to $236.7 million, compared to $249.2 million a year ago. Second quarter same-store sales were down 6% from the prior year.  

Fred's Inc. saw July sales drop 7% to $154 million, compared to $165.6 million in the same period last year.    Comparable store sales for the month declined 4.6%, compared with an increase of 0.7% in the year-earlier period.   Fred's total sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 decreased 3.4% to $527.7 million, from $546.1 million for the same period last year. On a comparable store basis, second quarter sales decreased 2% versus an increase of 0.9% for the year-earlier period.

Tuesday Morning is showing off its updated prototype at two locations.   The chain’s expanded store at Preston Shopping Center, Dallas, and new store at Parker Central Shopping Center, in Plano, feature new fixtures, flooring, improved lighting and a redesigned store layout that makes it easier for customers to shop. The format also includes an expanded assortment of goods.