Supply Chain & Merchandising

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer last week announced its donation of 35 reconditioned semi-tractors to local food banks, academic organizations and law enforcement throughout the Midwest.

The donation is part of the chain's ongoing commitment to support the communities it serves, the company said.

New York City -- Macy’s said Tuesday that it plans to expand its website offerings and would add about 725 new positions over the next two years to implement the e-commerce expansion plan.

San Mateo, Calif. -- DemandTec, the collaborative optimization network for retailers and consumer products companies, announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of Applied Intelligence Solutions, LLC (AIS), a developer of intelligent software solutions for the retail enterprise with a specific focus on softline retailers.

The annual NRF Convention & EXPO has a strong history, and while the show’s early concept has evolved over the last century, its message remains the same: to bring together industry decision makers who want to find ways to drive their business.

Some attendees often question why NRF is held in New York City during January, when the weather can be downright brutal. But the reason is easy.

Retailers who report monthly sales are set to report their best December results in several years this Thursday assuming preseason forecasts and in-season upward revisions prove accurate. Total holiday sales are forecast to increase in the low- to mid-single digits, and Thursday’s monthly results from the likes of Target, Macy’s, Kohl’s, TJX and others will offer an indication of how good a season it was.

NEW YORK - Barnes & Noble reported preliminary bookstore holiday comparable-store sales of 9.7% for the nine-week period ending Jan. 1. Driven by the company’s Nook e-reading device product line, Barnes & Noble bookstores said it achieved its largest retail sales day ever in the company’s nearly 40-year history on December 23, 2010. 

Goodlettsville, Tenn. -- Building on its plans to open 625 new stores in fiscal 2011, Dollar General Corp. announced that it will create 6,000 new jobs. The new stores and jobs will be spread among Dollar General’s existing 35-state operating area, as well as three new states: Connecticut, Nevada and New Hampshire.

In addition to 625 new stores, the company plans to remodel or relocate 550 stores.

New York City -- Borders Group is delaying payments to some of its vendors, a company spokeswoman said on Thursday. The news came just weeks after the company said it was trying to obtain new financing to avoid violating the terms of its credit agreements early next year.

"As part of this potential refinancing, Borders has determined that it is necessary to restructure its vendor financing arrangements and is delaying payments to certain of its vendors," Borders spokeswoman Mary Davis said by phone, in a Reuters report.