Supply Chain & Merchandising

While it missed some analysts’ aggressive $44.7 billion quarterly revenue estimate, Amazon continues to record solid growth. Fourth-quarter sales were up 22% year over year to $43.7 billion. The retailer also maintained profitability throughout 2016, indicating that the flywheel continues to accelerate, especially in North America.   

Eastern Outfitters, the parent company of Eastern Mountain Sports and Bob’s Stores, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.     The company listed assets and liabilities in the range of $100 million to $500 million in its filing        British sporting goods retailer Sports Direct International has engaged in extensive talks with Eastern Outfitters to become a stalking-horse bidder in a bankruptcy auction, Reuters reported.    

Dick’s Sporting Goods will be relocating one of its stores in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, metro to space formerly inhabited by Sears at PREIT’s Capital City Mall.  

Mass promotions don’t cater to customer demand — or drive sales.   By adding a new platform that streamlines the entire promotional planning process, Toys “R” Us Canada is leaving behind vague promotions in favor of more targeted communications based on shopping behavior, store traffic, inventory and customer service.  

Wolverine World Wide announced the appointment of Todd Spaletto as president of the Wolverine outdoor and lifestyle group.   Spaletto will lead the growth of the Merrell, Chaco, CAT, Hush Puppies, and Sebago brands around the world. He brings 23 years of experience in branded apparel and footwear, and most recently served as president of The North Face, where he led the growth of this industry-leading global brand for six years.   

Dollar General is setting records with its upcoming employment search.   With plans to open 1,000 new stores and two new state-of-the-art distribution centers this year, the chain is preparing to fill approximately 10,000 new jobs — about a 9% overall increase to its workforce.    The hiring spree marks the largest one-year employee increase through organic store and distribution center growth in the company’s 78-year history, the chain said.  

Levin Management Corp. has been named as the exclusive managing agent for two New Jersey shopping centers — Raintree Towne Center in Freehold and Mansfield Plaza in Hackettstown.   The 134,000-sq.-ft. Raintree is anchored by a Stop & Shop supermarket and includes CVS, Starbucks, and Hallmark. It is located on Route 537 near the CentraState Medical Center and Freehold Raceway Mall.   Mansfield Plaza, a 156,000-sq.-ft. property, features a 14-screen Cinepolis complex and a ShopRite supermarket.

Ivanka Trump-branded items will soon be a thing of the past at Nordstrom.