Mass Merchant

If we wanted to show the struggles of the classic American mall, I don’t think we could come up with a better example than Northland Mall in Southfield, Michigan. When it opened in 1954, Northland was an instant hit: an icon not only for the region, but for the nation. One of the first and largest open air centers in the nation, Northland was enclosed in 1974 and today boasts space for 96 stores and nearly 1.5 million sq. ft. of retail.

Washington, D.C. – Retailers looking forward to consumers receiving their tax refund checks this year may be setting themselves up for disappointment. According to a new survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics, close to half (47%) of the 66% of Americans expecting a tax refund this year plan to save it.

New York -- American Express has officially launched its Small Merchant EMV Assistance Program, which was announced last October by President Obama. The nationwide campaign was created to help U.S. small merchants fight fraud through a $10 million reimbursement program designed to accelerate adoption of EMV payment terminals. It will also arm small merchants with knowledge about EMV’s security benefits.

Petco is leveraging the popularity of raw pet food by launching a series of educational events at some of its stores.

Starting on March 2, on the first Monday of each month, Unleashed by Petco stores will sample a variety of frozen, dehydrated and freeze-dried raw food and treats and educate customers on the health benefits of raw food as part of the Monday Night Raw Next-Level Nutrition event series.

Office Depot posted a larger profit in the fourth quarter, but the retailer says currency pressures, market challenges and its tentative merger with Staples could negatively affect sales in 2015.

Office Depot reported a profit of 7 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier loss of 5 cents a share. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had projected earnings of four cents a share on revenue of $3.91 billion.

By Navneet Loiwal, Shopular

Mobile was all the rage during the 2014 holiday buying season. But the mobile buzz of late hasn’t just been about mobile purchasing. More consumers are now retail deal-hunting by mobile than in previous years – creating an entirely new paradigm for handheld devices as it relates to information gathering and comparative shopping, versus the act of completing an actual purchase.
 

Minneapolis – While some retailers have been raising their spending threshold for free shipping in the past year or so, Target Corp. is taking the opposite approach. Target now offers free shipping for orders of $25 or more. The retailer said the price cut follows an enthusiastic response to its free-shipping offer during the holiday shopping season.

That is half the $50 minimum Target previously required for free shipping. The free rate applies to standard shipments that take three to five business days to arrive.

Bentonville, Ark. – In a reversal of corporate policy that did not offer workers paid sick leave until their second day of absence, Wal-Mart Store Inc. is reportedly now allowing employees to collect sick pay on their first day of not reporting to work due to illness. According to the Wall Street Journal, the change in policy is part of a larger effort to improve employee morale.