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Coppell, Texas -- Alco Stores Inc. on Sunday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with plans to liquidate or sell the business.    The 113-year-old retailer and its subsidiary, Alco Holdings Ltd Liability Co., filed voluntary petitions for relief in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division.  It listed assets of $221.7 million and debt of $161.6 million.  

Amazon once again takes the lead in disruptive news with reports it will open its first-ever physical store in New York City on West 34th Street, across from the Empire State Building and down the street from the iconic Macy’s flagship store. Even more than for its impressive location, the store is notable as the ultimate symbol of the continuing primacy of brick-and-mortar in the omnichannel environment.

 

Lowe’s may operate only eight stores in Mexico but that’s enough for the company to get a jump on executing an omnichannel strategy.

Washington, D.C. - Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to see a final surge and set a new monthly record in October as the holiday season approaches. According to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates, import volume at U.S. ports covered by the Global Port Tracker report is expected to total 1.53 million containers in October, topping the 1.52 million monthly record set in August.   

Just in time for the holiday season, Amazon is going brick-and-mortar with its first-ever physical store, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The store, which will be located across from the Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan, will serve as a mini-warehouse, with limited inventory for same-day delivery within New York City, product returns and exchanges and pickups of online orders, according to the report.
 

 

Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to see a final surge and set a new monthly record in October as the holiday season approaches, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released late this week by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

New York -- Amazon plans to open its first-ever physical store, across from the Empire State Building in mid-town Manhattan, the Wall Street Journal reported. It's been rumored for years that the online giant was looking to open brick-and-mortar locations.

Atlanta -- United Parcel Service Inc. said it will expand UPS My Choice and the UPS Access Point network, two of the company’s services that work together to provide online shoppers and global retailers with new personalized solutions to manage residential package deliveries.

UPS My Choice, the customizable online and mobile service where consumers choose delivery preferences and more, will now be available to consumers in 15 additional countries throughout North America and Europe. The service was introduced in the U.S. in 2011.

Toronto -- Slate Retail REIT announced that it has entered into a binding agreement to purchase two grocery-anchored shopping centers.

Oakland Commons, a 73,705-sq.-ft. property in Bloomington, Illinois, will be acquired for $8.2 million ($111 per square foot). The 100% occupied property is anchored by Jewel-Osco, a subsidiary of Albertsons LLC.

Coty has submitted a binding offer to acquire the Bourjois cosmetics brand from Chanel for 15 million Class A Coty shares. Chanel has agreed to enter into exclusive negotiations.

Bourjois’ portfolio of color cosmetic products are sold through approximately 23,000 points of sale in more than 50 countries around the world. Bourjois was founded in 1863, by French actor Joseph-Albert Ponsin, who developed a line of color cosmetics for his fellow actors.