Sales & Marketing

Walmart is leveraging its mighty store network to gain a competitive advantage over Amazon for last-minute holiday shoppers.    The discount retailer announced Tuesday it will offer shoppers a Christmas Eve store pickup commitment for eligible orders placed online by 6 p.m. local time on Dec. 23.   

Costco Wholesale’s new co-branded Visa payment card is definitely resonating with shoppers.   Since launching its co-branded Citi Visa Anywhere credit card in June, the club retailer reports that 1 million members signed up for the payment card.    “Most of them have it in hand,” Costco’s CFO Richard Galanti said during the company’s earnings call on Dec. 7. “In terms of conversion, usage and new sign up for the card, all [is] good so far.”  

Lululemon athletica inc. has promoted Celeste Burgoyne to executive VP, retail, Americas, effective immediately.    Burgoyne has been with lululemon since 2006 and most recently served as senior VP, retail, North America where she was responsible for overseeing all Canadian and U.S. retail. She started her career with Abercrombie & Fitch, where she held various positions during her ten years with the company, including most recently, senior director of stores.  

Barnes & Noble is set to open its third location featuring the bookseller’s new concept, which combines a bookstore with  a full-service restaurant and table service.   The new store,  at the Palladio of Broadstone in Folsom, California, features a 2,600-sq.-ft. Barnes & Noble Kitchen that has seating for 140, reported the Sacramento Bee.  

It would appear that news accounts of Amazon’s plans to opens thousands of grocery stores are greatly overblown — at least for the time being.     Amazon’s brick-and-mortar fledgling initiatives have been in the spotlight in recent weeks with the opening of its checkout-less convenience store, Amazon Go, in Seattle. Last week, some reports had the e-commerce giant planning to open 2,000 grocery stores.     

Retailers and restaurants in the United States won’t get any relief in 2017 in the battle to win customers.    That’s according to Fitch Ratings' Outlook report, which says that retailers will continue to face a competitive environment in 2017 as they navigate changing customer preferences.  

The City of Brotherly Love is having a love affair with retail.    A new report from Philadelphia’s City Center District reveals that 45 national retailers have helped fuel a $1 billion investment in city real estate during the last five years.  

Retailers continue to launch digital deals this holiday season to snag new customers — but these efforts come at a price.    Retailers’ promotional offers are eclipsing 2015 efforts. Customer orders using a promotion are up 34% versus 2015, and up 52% over the holiday season (Nov. 1-Dec. 5) versus 2015 in North America.