Distribution

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.

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

Seattle - Amazon.com continues tweaking its shipping policies. A week after offering free same-day delivery for members of its Amazon Prime loyalty program in select cities, the retailer is now offering all customers free shipping on lightweight items in a program called Fulfillment by Amazon Small and Light.

The eligible goods include cosmetics and mobile phone accessories. There is no minimum purchase requirement, and membership in Amazon Prime, which offers free shipping on all purchases, is not required.

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.

Five Below reported an increase in same store sales and profit for the first quarter in the same week the company opened a new distribution center to support its expansion plans. 

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).

Goodlettsville, Tenn. – Dollar General Corp. beat Wall Street expectations for profit but missed on sales in the first quarter of fiscal 2015. Net income totaled $253 million, up 14% from $222 million the same period the prior year.

Higher initial inventory markups, improved inventory shrink rate and lower transportation costs helped boost net income. Net sales increased 9% to $4.92 billion, compared to $4.52 billion. Same-store sales increased 3.7%, resulting from increases in both customer traffic and average transaction amount.

New York – When it comes to supply chain security, most retailers are diligent about things like locking up warehouses and vehicles. But when it comes to securing technology used to manage supply chain operations, retailer diligence often trails off.