Supply Chain & Merchandising

At a time of year when consumers are still caught up in end-of-summer barbecues and back-to-school shopping, retailers are getting caught up in the rush of holiday planning. Holiday sales can account for 20% to 40% of a retailer’s total annual sales, according to the National Retail Federation, and a successful holiday can turn around a bad year or make a good year even better.

Combining system controls in refrigeration, HVAC and lighting is key

Retail facility directors continually look for ways to drive down operational costs, but are limited in their efforts without a strong control system. Installation of a facility control system can provide savings and improve operations of a small-format retail store if adhered to well.

Why is it important to use controls to ensure store policies are being enforced?

Grocery-anchored centers respond to changing consumer tastes and consolidation

As supermarket tenants are challenged to meet the needs of an increasingly diversified and sophisticated consumer base, and given the significant trend toward consolidation, landlords are tasked with delivering top-notch grocery-anchored centers — with a diminishing number of anchors from which to choose.

Add in growing pressure on the grocery segment from competitors in the mass merchandise, discount and even dollar store verticals, plus small — but real — grocery in

Price cuts made to clear seasonal merchandise were a primary driver of Chico’s lower net income for the second quarter ended Aug. 2.

The company posted net income of $30.1 million for the quarter, a drop of 31% from $43.6 million in the year-ago period. Net sales for the quarter were $671.1 million, an increase of 3.3% from $649.5 million in the previous year, but driven primarily by sales at 98 net new stores. Same-store sales inched up by 0.3%.

Los Angeles – Authentic Brands Group LLC (ABG), owner of the Juicy Couture brand, is launching a new multiyear partnership to expand the scope of e-commerce services for Juicy Couture, with Onestop Internet, a full-spectrum e-commerce solution provider.

Irving, Texas – The Michaels Companies Inc. on Wednesday reported a net loss of $48 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2014, compared to net income of $17 in the year-ago period, as $68 million in costs associated with debt-extinguishment and drove the retailer into the red. Its results, however, beat analysts estimates, and the company raised its full-year outlook. It was Michaels’ first earnings report since it went public again at the end of June.

New York - L.L. Bean provided a level of customer service across all channels in July that was among the best in the U.S. For the third month in 2014, L.L. Bean has topped the overall customer service rankings in Stella Benchmarks.

Chile is the top destination for emerging market retail expansion, followed by China, where retail sales totaled a whopping $3.7 trillion in 2013, according to the 2014 A.T. Kearney Global Retail Development Index.

With Uruguay, Brazil, Peru, Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico also in the index of top emerging economies ready for retail expansion, Latin America continues to show strength as a regional retail growth market.