Retail

Dublin, Calif. - Ross Dress for Less will open two new stores in Louisiana on March 7. The stores are located in Juban Crossing in Denham Springs, and Magnolia Marketplace in central New Orleans.

With these new locations, Ross will operate 15 stores in Louisiana. Together, Ross Dress for Less and DD’s Discounts currently operate more than 1,300 off-price apparel and home fashion stores in 33 states, the District of Columbia and Guam.
 

Retail sales will accelerate in 2015 and grow at the fastest pace since 2011, according to a recent forecast from the National Retail Federation.

The trade group said Retail sales (excluding automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) will increase 4.1% in 2015, up from 3.5% in 2014. The increase would mark the biggest annual growth since 2011 when retail sales for the year increased 5.1%. Non-store sales in 2015 are expected to grow between 7% and 10%.

Minneapolis – Although 550 Target Canada headquarters employees are being laid off as Target Corp. prepares to shut down its Canadian venture, the number one person will remain employed. According to the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal, Target Canada president Mark Schindele will return to the company’s U.S. operation and assume a new position of senior VP of retail properties.

Brampton, Ontario — Shoppers Drug Mart, which was acquired by grocer Loblaw nearly a year ago, is testing the sale of fresh foods in select locations, according to published reports.

Tapping into Loblaw’s strengths and expertise, the Canadian pharmacy retailer is piloting the sale of fresh food in six locations, including fresh produce and meats.

Rhonda Mauldin was selected from more than 1,100 Food Lion store managers for the retailer’s highest honor.

Mauldin, who is the store manager of the Food Lion located at 1004 W. Georgia Road in Simpsonville, S.C., is Food Lion’s 2014 Store Manager of the Year.

How do you mold a large workforce with a significant part-time segment into experts in home improvement so customers get the answers they need every time they walk in the doors of The Home Depot?

It requires committed associates, strong leaders, and innovative learning solutions.

Puerto Rico is home to many retailers’ most productive units and now Saks and Nordstrom are looking to get in on the action when they open their first locations next month in the island’s new Mall of San Juan.

The mall is set to open March 26, two and a half years after breaking ground, and will contain a 138,000-sq.-ft. Nordstrom and a 100,000-sq.-ft. Saks. The property also includes a hotel and a casino.

Washington, D.C. – Assorted advocacy groups and professional associations, including the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Merchant Financial Cyber Partnership, are urging the White House to take steps to improve cybersecurity for retail transactions. The public call comes as President Obama convenes a daylong Cybersecurity Summit at Stanford University on Feb. 13. The summit, which will include a keynote speech by the president, is part of a renewed drive to combat cyber hackers.