Supply Chain & Merchandising

Bella Vista, Australia -- Woolworths Supermarket, a division of Australian retail conglomerate Woolworths Ltd., is optimizing home delivery routes for its growing e-commerce business using solutions from Descartes Systems Group. Woolworths is employing the Descartes Route Planner and Mobile applications with assistance from Descartes development partner The Brisbane Group. Using the Descartes technology, Woolworths combines route planning, tracking and execution with mobile functionality.

Women’s apparel brand and retailer Lilly Pulitzer is turning to supply chain commerce solution provider Manhattan Associates to revamp its omnichannel retail capabilities so it can address its growing brick-and-mortar and e-commerce businesses. 

West Bridgewater, Mass. -- Shaw’s plans to close six stores operating under its namesake banner by Aug. 3. The locations targeted for shuttering include four stores in the Massachusetts towns of Fall River, Fairhaven, Stoughton, and Taunton and two stores in the Rhode Island towns of Westerly and Woonsocket.

Chicago -- Parents will shop and spend more during the back-to-school season this year than they did last year, according to ShopperTrak. The company projects that national retail sales will rise 4.3% in August, and retail foot traffic will increase 0.6%, when compared to the year-ago period.

Dallas -- Tuesday Morning Corp. reported that its fiscal fourth-quarter revenue rose 2.9% to $202.1 million. Same-store sales for the period ended June 30 increased 4.6%.  

The discounter Tuesday Morning Corp. said traffic climbed 6.2%. The average receipt fell 1.6%.

The retailer's full-year revenue was up 3% to $838.3 million from $812.8 million. Same-store sales rose 3.9%.  
 

Seattle -- Nordstrom plans to open a third Houston-area Nordstrom Rack location. The approximately 38,000-sq.-ft. store is scheduled to open in fall 2014, at Willowbrook Mall is owned and managed by General Growth Properties  

"We've been looking for opportunities to better serve Houston customers as we continue to grow," said Geevy Thomas, president of Nordstrom Rack.

Olympia, Wash. -- Total Wine & More will open its 96th wine and spirits superstore in Olympia, Wash., on July 18. With over 21,000 sq. ft., the store will offer more than 8,000 wines, 3,000 spirits and 2,500 beers.

The store also houses iPad stations stocked with tasting notes and food pairings, flat screen televisions running programs about winemakers, distillers and brewers and a walk-in humidor. In addition, a classroom provides space for tastings, classes and community meetings.

NEW YORK — Walmart confirmed in an op-ed in the Washington Post that if the D.C. Council passes a bill setting a higher minimum wage for large retailers, it will pull the plug on three planned stores in the Washington, D.C., area.