Supply Chain & Merchandising

The first in a series of interviews with retail executives who attend SPECS, Chain Store Age’s annual store planning conference.

A strong dollar and tumbling gas prices made Costco’s fourth quarter sales results seem weak. They weren’t and now the company plans to open 12 more clubs before year end.

Hussmann Corporation has acquired Commercial Refrigerator Door Company, Sarasota, Florida.

Family owned and operated since 1975, Commercial Refrigerator Door offers a full line of Styleline products, including heated and energy-free glass door and frame systems for walk-in coolers and freezers and a wide range of shelving and merchandising accessories.

Consumers may make merry during the upcoming holiday season, but mobile devices may be less a part of the action than retailers like.

According to a new survey from marketing automation platform provider Bronto Software, only 19% of holiday shoppers plan to purchase from a tablet, and 22% from a smartphone.

Consumers will use mobile devices to search for the best deal: 65% will look for promotions and coupons, 63% will check prices on that store's website and 61% will search for lower prices at another store or site.

Watch out Uber, Amazon may just steal away your drivers. The online giant is launching an Uber-like program, called Flex, which uses on-demand independent contractors to deliver Amazon packages. The service is now available only in Seattle (and only to members of Amazon’s Prime Now same-day delivery service), but the company expects to roll it out to other cities where Prime Now is offered, including Manhattan, Baltimore, Miami, Dallas, and Chicago.

The retail real industry has experienced its share of changes over the years, but nothing comes close to the transformation that it is currently undergoing. 

As the industry undergoes what the International Council of Shopping Centers calls one of the “most profound transformations” in its 60-year year history, the association has releases its Envision 2020 report, a collaborative initiative that outlines where the industry will be in five years according to leaders from around the globe. 

The October deadline for retailers to accept EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa)-compliant, chip-based payment cards or face increased fraud liability has placed payment card security in the industry headlines. While important, securing card-based payments at the store is one small facet of the huge undertaking retailers face in protecting their entire network.

Interior build-outs in the retail sector can be some of the most expensive construction projects, with cost per unit area far exceeding that of an exterior build. They are also often more logistically complex. For example, the coordination of all the different trades and the delivery of materials, fixtures and products can be challenging, but it is key to ensuring quality, containing costs and avoiding delays.