Distribution

Photo: Stefan Sjostrand, managing director, Ikea Canada

Bentonville, Ark. – Walmart will test a free online shipping service in summer 2015 that will serve as a competitor to the Amazon Prime service from Amazon.com. The service will only cost $50 for a year’s subscription, as compared to $99 for Amazon Prime.

Skechers USA Inc. is making a big donation to support children affected by the earthquake in Nepal.

The company says it will give more than 62,000 pairs of new shoes to children in that nation. The company has distributed 11 million pairs of shoes to children in need worldwide since its BOBS charitable program launched in 2011.

Spartanburg, S.C. - Denny's Corp. is cooking up something good on the back end. The casual dining chain has chosen Havi Global Solutions LLC (HGS) as its lead supplier of supply chain and packaging solutions.

Sephora is looking to increase online sales by expanding its omnichannel capabilities in China with a new flagship store on JD.com.

Sephora says its JD.com store will be the largest cosmetics store on JD.com's platform, featuring over 1,200 items from more than 70 leading international cosmetic brands, including Dior, Guerlain, Givenchy, Benefit and Kenzoki, among dozens of others.

On the heels of Walmart's decision to acquire 13 Target locations in Canada comes an announcement from Lowe's, which has also decided to acquire 13 Target Canada leases as well as distribution center in Ontario.

The deal is worth about $125 million.

Staples is accelerating its pursuit of growth opportunities abroad even as the company awaits regulatory approval of a proposed merger with Office Depot.

Staples has announced a partnership with Bidvest Waltons, South Africa’s leading office products company, and Dacris, a major distributor of office supplies in Romania.

By Kris Bjorson, JLL

Cost versus customer experience: As retailers compete on customer experience throughout the omni-channel supply chain process, the type of real estate and where it is located is playing a major role. In fact, according to JLL research, seven out of 10 retailers are still shaping their omnichannel product offering and customer service commitments.