Mass Merchant

New York -- As Costco Wholesale inches closer to opening its first location in France, the retailer may not find the country such an easy target by any measure, reported the Seattle Times.

In France, Costco will find itself on the doorstep of hypermarket giants Carrefour, Auchan and Casino, which run huge stores selling a dizzying assortment of food and other products, according to the report.

For the full story, click here.

Target is teaming up with Canadian footwear chain Aldo on a new range of shoes and accessories, according to a report from Footwear News.

The publication says the new collection will be called A+, is inspired by the Aldo brand, and will launch at all Target stores this month. 

In addition to partnerships with Stride Rite and Steve Madden, the publication says Target will continue to explore other shoe partnerships.

Aldo Group operates 1,900 stores in 94 countries. 

New York -- Barnes & Noble claims the top position in a list of the most powerful “Back-to-School” retail brands, according to Tenet Partners’ Top 20 ranking.  

Rounding out the top five: Walmart, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Amazon and Old Navy.

The turnaround at Gap Inc. is still struggling to get off the ground, if the retailers' latest round of financial results are any indication.

Gap reported that net sales for the four-week period ended Aug. 1 were $1.12 billion compared with net sales of $1.17 billion for the four-week period ended Aug. 2, 2014. For the second quarter of fiscal 2015, Gap Inc.’s net sales decreased 2% to $3.90 billion compared with $3.98 billion for the second quarter last year.

New York -- Get ready for Irish fast-fashion.
 
Value apparel retailer Primark, which  recently launched its U.S. website, announced it will open its first U.S. location, in Boston, on Sept. 10. The store measures 77,000 sq. ft. and is situated downtown in the Burnham Building, the site of the city’s iconic Filene's department store.

Primark’s second U.S. outpost will open in King of Prussia mall. The retailer said it plans to open an additional eight stores over the next two years.

Minneapolis -- Parents and others shopping for toys at Target will no longer be offered product suggestions based on gender.

The retailer announced it plans to start removing gender-based signage in several departments, including toys, bedding and entertainment. Target said it made the decision after feedback and suggestions from customers.

Chicago -- Shoppers are making retailers wait for the back-to-school rush.

The majority (65%) of shoppers will start back-to-school shopping in the next few weeks, according to JLL’s Back-to-School Survey, which also revealed that 88% of shoppers will shop at a brick-and-mortar store for either school supplies or clothing, placing minimal online orders for merchandise.

The rise of e-commerce has made life increasingly difficult for shopkeepers of every size and shape. The continuing shift to online shopping, and the failure of many retailers to adapt, has pushed many retail chains into bankruptcy. Radio Shack, Wet Seal and Deb Shops are just a few once-popular merchants that have declared Chapter 11 in recent years.