Supply Chain & Merchandising

Walmart plans to roll out Savings Catcher nationwide later this summer. The receipt comparison tool is designed to eliminate the need for customers to visit multiple stores to find low prices, the company said at one of its annual shareholders events.
 
Built on proprietary technology, Savings Catcher looks at other retailers’ ads and gives customers an eGift card for the difference if a competitor’s offering is lower than the price they paid at Walmart.

Fort Worth, Texas -- RadioShack is partnering with hardware manufacturer and accelerator PCH International to create RadioShack Labs, a collaboration to help inventors and start-ups bring their products direct to the market — and hopefully boost store traffic. As part of the agreement, the retailer will open dedicated areas in RadioShack stores that feature new and innovative products from startups. The shops will utilize a direct-to-store model for select products, reducing inventory requirements and increasing inventory turn in the stores.  

New York -- Costco Wholesale Corp. was among the retailers who topped sales expectations in May as warmer weather encouraged consumers to go out and shop.

Costco’s same-store sales rose 6% in May, with a 6% rise in U.S. sales and a 4% increase in international sales, better than analysts had expected.

At L Brands, owner of Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works, same-store sales were up 3 in May, better than projections. Total revenue for the month rose 4% to $763.6 million.

King of Prussia, Pa. -- eBay Enterprise, an eBay company, plans to increase adoption of omnichannel commerce technologies globally after securing 451 clients and 862 extension and renewals in the first half of 2014. The brands that turned to eBay Enterprise to power their retail growth include Alex and Ani, Boxpark, Destination XL, Karmaloop, MailPix and StubHub.

Current clients have also added new services to enhance the consumer experience.

WTI expects June 2014 to trend similar to last year and above normal for the U.S. as a whole. Cooler and more normal temperatures can be expected from the Western Plains to the Rocky Mountain states. Temperatures will be cooler than last year along the West Coast, but still above normal with slightly weaker demand for summer categories. In the Northeast, temperatures will trend similar to last year while precipitation trends drier than a very wet June 2013, which will benefit store traffic and increase demand for outdoor categories.

By J. Kent Smith, Galleria RTS

The long established buzzword, “localization” is more important today than it has ever been. The approach of ever broadening assortments has clogged shelves, exaggerated mark-down costs and compromised returns; with slotting fees no longer sufficient to bridge the gap. Put simply, retailers are out of space, capital and resources; urgent action is required.

Chicago -- ShopperTrak, a leading global provider of consumer behavior insights and location-based analytics, announced it has signed Journeys as its 1,000th customer.

San Jose, Calif. -- Hispanic supermarket chain Mi Pueblo Foods announced its formal emergence from Chapter 11 reorganization after having completed a necessary financial restructuring. The company also announced that Javier Ramirez has been named president and CEO. He will succeed Mi Pueblo founder Juvenal Chavez, who will be named chairman of the board.
 
Ramirez is a seasoned CEO in the Hispanic food and grocery sector.