Sales & Marketing

On the heels of announcing its ambitious expansion strategy, Starbucks is putting another project on its plate.  

Women have long struggled with how to recreate a look from a department store’s makeup artist. Neiman Marcus is now streamlining the task through its newest interactive mirror.  

A store transformed — that’s how Target refers to its Baton Rouge East (Louisiana) store which has re-opened its doors after sustaining massive damage from the floods that devastated the area in August.  

Costco Wholesale Corp. a better-than-expected quarterly profit, helped partially by lower fees to credit card partner Visa.   Costco, which completed its switch to Visa from American Express during the fourth quarter, said net income rose to $545 million, or $1.24 per share, in the first quarter, ended Nov. 20, from $480 million, or $1.09 per share, in the year-ago period. (The retailer’s profit in the latest quarter included a $51 million gain from a legal settlement.)  

(Ed. note: Neil Saunders, CEO of Conlumino, comments on Sears Holdings’ third-quarter results.)   In the movie Titanic there is a line where, realizing chaos is about to en-sue, one character helpfully notes “it’s starting to fall apart; we don’t have much time”. Such a sentiment could well be applied to Sears. The analogy with Titanic is also apt; not least because while Sears was once a titan of US retail, it now looks set to sink.  

Dunkin’ Donuts is expanding its footprint in Texas.    The chain signed multi-unit store development agreements with four existing franchise groups to develop approximately 65 new restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth and the surrounding area.     The new restaurants will include several multi-brand locations with sister brand Baskin-Robbins, the world's largest chain of ice cream specialty shops.     

Sears Holdings Corp.’ woes mounted in the third quarter, as the struggling retailer reported its 20th consecutive quarterly loss and another drop in same-store sales.        Although Sears CEO Eddie Lampert said Sears is “fully committed to restoring profitability,” the retailer’s disastrous quarterly performance caused some industry experts to say Sears’ demise is now a matter of when, not if.