Mass Merchant

Photo: Steve Bratspies

Twenty-year Walmart veteran Laura Phillips is set to become the company's senior VP of sustainability, effective Jan. 1, according to GreenBiz. Manuel Gomez, who previously held the title, has accepted a new position with Walmart de Mexico and Central America as VP of strategy for e-commerce, the report said.

Shoppers are starting their holiday shopping earlier every year — and it's partially due to a perception that the deals aren't all that great anymore on Black Friday.

According to RetailMeNot’s annual holiday Shoppers Trend Report, only 10% of consumers believe that it is worth waiting until Black Friday for deals.

Ross Dress for Less will open a new store in Dulles Landing, Virginia on Oct. 10.

The 25,000-sq.-ft. store is located in the Dulles Landing Shopping Center, adjacent to the Washington-Dulles International Airport.

The opening is part of the retailer’s 2015 expansion program, totaling approximately 70 new locations during the year.

Phoenix -- BIG Shopping Centers USA and RED Development announced the addition of five retail assets totaling nearly 1.5 million sq. ft. in Arizona, Nebraska and Wisconsin to their recently launched joint venture BIG RED Portfolio.

The joint venture was launched in late 2014 with the acquisition of Camelback Colonnade in Phoenix. With the recent acquisition the portfolio now consists of nine retail assets totaling nearly three million sq. ft. in three states.

Did Japanese retailer Uniqlo miscalculate its appeal to American shoppers?

The company, a division of Fast Retailing, is moving into the slow lane with regards to its U.S. expansion. Uniqlo now plans to open only five U.S. locations in its current fiscal year, which began on September 1, 2015, after opening 17 in its most recently completed year.

Uniqlo, which has more than 1,600 stores worldwide, operates 43 stores across the United States.

Ross Dress for Less will open a new store in Elizabeth City, North Carolina on Oct. 10. The 18,000-sq.-ft.store is located in Tanglewood Pavilions.

The opening is part of the retailer’s 2015 expansion program, totaling approximately 70 new locations during the year.

Walmart Canada is looking to make online shopping as convenient as possible by partnering with 7-Eleven Canada Inc. to expand Walmart Canada’s Grab & Go locker network in six 7-Eleven stores in the greater Toronto area.

The service offers customers using Walmart.ca a free shipping option where they can pick up their order, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at no cost. This partnership expands on Walmart Canada’s current Grab & Go Locker service, which offers free shipping to 45 Grab & Go lockers in the GTA.