Supply Chain & Merchandising

New York City -- Walmart is scaling back from its round-the-clock, 24-hour operating schedule at select U.S. locations, according to USA Today.

The decision on whether to keep stores open 24 hours is a store-to-store decision, the report said, and does not mean the chain as a whole is retreating from its 24-hour format.

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New York City -- Walmart will open its first store in the United States that utilizes all-LED lighting on the interior. The store, a Walmart Neighborhood Market, is located at 2111 N. Amidon, Wichita, Kan. It will open on Nov. 2.

The company said it expects to see a 40% savings on the energy-efficient lights, which also last at least six years beyond conventional lighting, reducing maintenance costs.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Earth911, an organization that gathers, distributes and analyzes localized recycling information to assist manufacturers, organizations and consumers with product end-of-life solutions, announced that Patricia Kimball, Ph.D., has joined the company as VP retail strategy group.

“Her understanding and experience with implementing end-of-life solutions is directly relevant to Earth911’s corporate mission and goals. We’re thrilled to have Patty join our team of experts.”

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. said Friday that it will open its stores across the country at midnight on Thanksgiving for the first time in the retailer’s history.

Stores opened at 4 a.m. on Black Friday last year.

Target, which said its move was in response to customer demand, said its stores will stay open for 23 hours and close at 11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25.

Last year, most Walmart stores opened by midnight on Thanksgiving.
 

Newark, N.J. -- A report released Friday by the Journal of Commerce/PIERS showed that U.S. toy imports dropped 9% year-over-year in September, as the country's retailers apparently chose caution heading into the 2011 holiday season.

The drop in container volume, most of it from China, was the eighth straight for toys coming into the United States and a strong sign that the nation's stores are concerned with figures showing waning consumer confidence and opting to keep inventories lean rather than face deep-discount sales.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target is getting an early jump on Black Friday this year, announcing that it will open its stores at midnight on Nov. 25. 

“The holidays bring hectic schedules and tight budgets, so extending store hours and offering lots of additional ways to save makes Target a great choice for affordable, one-stop holiday shopping,” said Tina Schiel, EVP stores for Target.

Citigroup found that toy prices at both Walmart and Target fell by 4% and that the price gap between the two retailers on toys has narrowed since its first survey.

According to Ciitgroup, retail prices of a basket of “hot” toys for holiday 2011 are now 30 bps cheaper at Walmart than at Target, compared with 50 bps cheaper at Walmart in its previous survey. However, taking into account Target’s 5% rewards discount, the basket of toys became 470 bps more expensive at Walmart, compared with 450 bps more expensive in the previous survey.

Camp Hill, Pa. -- Rite Aid Corp. reported Thursday that same-store sales increased 2.9% in October, boosted by a 3.6% surge in pharmacy same-store sales. Front-end same-store sales edged up 1.3%.

Total drugstore sales for the four-week period increased 2.8% to $1.96 billion compared to $1.91 billion for the same period last year.