Distribution

Amazon.com is going big in Texas with the announcement of the construction of yet another fulfillment center in Dallas. 

The new 500,000 square-foot facility, which is currently under construction, will be located at the northeast corner of Interstate 45 and Interstate 20 in Dallas and will bring about 500 new jobs to the area when the facility opens early in 2016.

Employees at the Dallas fulfillment center will process smaller items, such as books, electronics and consumer goods, Amazon said Tuesday.

Photo: Fred Morganthall has been named senior VP of retail divisions for The Kroger Co.

Lynnwood, Wash. – Zumiez Inc. met Wall Street expectations for profit in the first quarter of fiscal 2015.

Net income rose 12% to $2.8 million from $2.5 million the same period a year earlier, aided by slowing growth rates of cost of goods sold and selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses.

The Kroger Co. has named Fred Morganthall, currently president of Harris Teeter Supermarkets, as senior vice president of retail divisions for the Kroger Co.

Rod Antolock, currently Harris Teeter's executive vice president, has been named president of Harris Teeter.

Stockholm, Sweden – Sweden-based global specialty apparel retailer H&M is planning to open its first store in India in fall 2015. The 25,000-sq.-ft. store will be located in New Delhi.

H&M, which currently operates more than 3,600 stores in 58 global markets, may open as many as 50 new stores in India during the next few years.

Philadelphia – Five Below Inc. reported healthy profit and sales gains in the first quarter of fiscal 2015 and is planning to open 155 stores in the next two fiscal years. The retailer’s net income totaled $4.28 million, up 39% from $3.08 million a year earlier.

Higher gross profit and the elimination of debt extinguishment loss helped Five Below reach above in net income. Five Below plans to open 70 stores and enter six new states in 2015, and plans 85 openings for 2016.

Costco reported a bump in U.S. same store sales for the month of May, but international comps declined.

The CEO of Best Buy says brick-and-mortar stores are absolutely vital to beating Amazon.com and other retail rivals.

According to MPR News, Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly told students at the University of Minnesota that "the chain's roughly 1,400 U.S. stores allow the retailer to demonstrate new products for customers and deliver the goods faster than Internet-only merchants."

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Atlanta -- Von Maur Department Stores has completed the installation of a new shipping and receiving material handling system in Von Maur's distribution center in Davenport, Iowa.

When it comes to transportation and logistics management considerations, the retail industry is a completely different beast. From strict deadlines and razor thin margins to challenges dealing with “reverse logistics,” complex dynamics exist between retailers, manufacturers/suppliers and transportation carriers that present unique challenges for getting inventory from Point A to Point B (and sometimes back again).