Mass Merchant

Amazon.com is expanding its product range yet again. This time, the e-commerce giant is entering the world of cable TV. According to TechCrunch, Amazon is launching a section of its site called “Amazon Cable Store.” Currently, Amazon Cable Store is only reselling Comcast Internet and TV services. Amazon is also offering dedicated customer service to Comcast customers who purchase services through the Cable Store.

The growth of digital shopping tools continues to benefit physical stores with new seasonal research from the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) showing how much.

Photo: Neal Davies, president and CEO, Effie Worldwide, (left) and Amy Hahn, senior VP of marketing, Ahold, (right) present an Effie Award to Matthew Parry, senior director of marketing at Walmart and Haley Prowell, associate marketing manager at Walmart.

Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Walmart and CVS Health were among this year winners of Effie awards, which recognize excellence in shopper marketing.

This week I’d like to discuss the re-emergence of skyline signs, but first allow me to offer a quick thank you to the entire Chain Store Age and SPECS Show teams for executing a trade show I won’t soon forget.

Of course, I’m talking about last week’s show at the beautiful Hilton Anatole in Dallas, #SPECS2016.

Should Walmart and Costco be required to pay employees the same minimum wage?

The answer is no, at least that’s the conclusion of a new study according to the National Center for Policy Analysis, a conservative think tank based in Dallas.

Ross Dress for Less opened a new store in O’Fallon, Missouri on March 5.

The 25,000-sq.-ft. store is located at the O’Fallon Walk Shopping Center, 30 miles west of downtown St. Louis along Interstate 70 between Lake St. Louis and St. Peters, on the southwest corner of Highway K and Feise Road.

The opening is part of the retailer’s 2016 expansion program, totaling about 70 new locations during the year.

Meeting Walmart’s product information requirements is not always easy for its suppliers, but the retailer is providing a new option that may make things a little simpler.

Walmart is integrating with product content technology provider Shotfarm. Walmart suppliers can now use the Shotfarm Switch Marketplace platform to directly connect with the retailer. This means suppliers can work with requirement such as the Walmart Spec program, which details the required, recommended, and optional data attributes suppliers must provide for their products.

Photo: Amazon Dash