Sales & Marketing

Walmart will be making big changes to a lot of stores this year, according to a report from MLive.com. Among the roughly 400-640 stores that will get a remodel this year are 12 Michigan locations, the report said.

MLive notes that among the changes coming to stores undergoing a remodel will be a lounge-like area for in-store pickup, the locations of which will move to the front of the store, more fresh and organic offerings, wider aisles and changed sightlines. Three markets in Michigan also will see the piloting of online grocery ordering for in-store pickup, the report said.

Someone forgot to tell Bluemercury about the slowdown in physical retail.    The beauty retailer, which was purchased by Macy’s in 2015, plans to open some 40 stores in 2017, according to a report by the Chicago Tribune, including six in Chicago. Currently, it has nearly 200 locations nationwide.   

A home improvement chain is helping shoppers better envision how to design and build their homes.   Though a partnership with Google, Lowe’s launched the Lowe's Vision app. Powered by Tango, a 3D technology developed by Google, the app leverages augmented and virtual reality to enable shoppers to begin planning their renovation needs before they even set foot inside a store.  

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett won’t have occasion to announce a championship for the OKC Thunder this year, but he did stop by the RECon show in Las Vegas to crown the OKC Outlets.   The former Outlet Shoppes at Oklahoma City was sold by CBL to The Outlet Resource Group and Singerman Real Estate earlier this month. The new owners wasted no time putting its own brand on the center. “OKC” is the abbreviation commonly used by NBA fans to identify the Thunder.  

Lolli & Pops has entered into a partnership to grow its store portfolio.

The retailer, which specializes in high-end sweets and confectionary treats, is teaming up with retail real estate company GGP Inc. to open 30 new locations.  

Soft Surroundings is making moves to create more customer-centric assortments.   The St. Louis-Missouri-based fashion retailer’s goal is to help customers maintain their unique sense of style without sacrificing comfort. This was becoming a challenge through its spreadsheet-based planning processes. With an eye on driving more customer-centric assortments across its growing chain, the company knew it was time for a change.  

There’s a new Facebook icon that users are sure to “like:” a food ordering service.   Rolling out to select users, Facebook’s new “Order Food” option can be found on its navigation menu — both online and mobile app. The service aggregates all supported restaurants together on one page, making it easier for Facebook users to place orders with their favorite restaurants, according to TechCrunch.  

Online retailing is changing the game for pet parents.   Specifically, 40% of pet owners are opting to buy pet products online, up from 37% the previous year, and notably higher than results from 2014, according to U.S. Pet Market Outlook, 2017-2018. The report, from research firm Packaged Facts, highlights mergers and acquisitions, retail channel trends, and pet owner demographics and spending habits.