Supply Chain & Merchandising

Sears Holding Corp. tried to walk back the uproar it caused early Tuesday morning when the struggling retailer included cautionary language about whether it would be able to continue as a "going concern” in its annual 10-K filing.   

The nation’s largest family-owned and operated retail jewelry chain is opening its first-ever outlet stores.   Rogers & Hollands Jewelers will launch a discount store prototype, Rogers & Hollands Outlet, this April. Two Rogers & Hollands stores in the Chicago area, one at North Riverside Park Mall and one at Golf Mill Shopping Center, will be rebranded, remodeled and reopened under the new banner.   

Moody's Investors Service has some good news for the U.S. supermarket industry.    Grocery stores’ operating profits will grow at a fairly healthy rate again this year after a disappointing 2016, according to Moody’s new report, "Companies Will Perform Better in 2017 as Deflationary Pressure Wanes. Profitability last year was crimped by an unprecedented level of deflation for an economy not in recession, the report noted, but as downward pressure on prices wanes, things will pick up in the latter half of this year.

The Food Marketing Institute and National Retail Federation will combine their existing risk and safety signature events into one cross-industry event starting in 2018.   The two groups will sponsor Protect in 2018, according to an announcement made Wednesday at the FMI’s Audit, Safety, Asset Protection Conference in Orlando.   

Sears Canada Inc. is going all out with its plans for an in-store off-price shop.   The chain will unveil the dedicated shop, called The Cut, this spring, and plans to roll it out to all its 94 stores. The off-price concept launched its own e-commerce website last week.      The Cut will take up from 30,000 sq. ft. to 40,000 sq. ft. inside the stores and will be evenly split between apparel and home offerings, according to Women’s Wear Daily.       

The fat lady is singing at Sears Holdings Corp.   The long-struggling retailer said on Tuesday that there was “substantial doubt” that it could stay in business.   

The nation’s largest retailer is ready to put a whole new spin on merchandise fulfillment.   Speed is the name of the game in retail these days, in store and online.   

Rouse Properties has divested itself of an 821,564 center in Eugene, Oregon, whose tenants include Target, Cinemark, Cabela’s, Kohl’s, Hobby Lobby, and Ulta. The Shoppes at Gateway was purchased by Balboa Retail Partners for an undisclosed amount.   “The Shoppes at Gateway is a thriving shopping center that drew significant investor interest," said JLL EVP Geoff Tranchina, who represented Rouse in the deal. JLL will continue on as the managing agent of the property.