Distribution

Washington, D.C. -- Import volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase a modest 1.1% in July over the same month last year, but a slow summer should be followed by significant increases as retailers head into the holiday season this fall, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released Wednesday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.


Women’s apparel brand and retailer Lilly Pulitzer is turning to supply chain commerce solution provider Manhattan Associates to revamp its omnichannel retail capabilities so it can address its growing brick-and-mortar and e-commerce businesses. 

Seattle -- Nordstrom plans to open a third Houston-area Nordstrom Rack location. The approximately 38,000-sq.-ft. store is scheduled to open in fall 2014, at Willowbrook Mall is owned and managed by General Growth Properties  

"We've been looking for opportunities to better serve Houston customers as we continue to grow," said Geevy Thomas, president of Nordstrom Rack.

West Bridgewater, Mass. -- Shaw’s plans to close six stores operating under its namesake banner by Aug. 3. The locations targeted for shuttering include four stores in the Massachusetts towns of Fall River, Fairhaven, Stoughton, and Taunton and two stores in the Rhode Island towns of Westerly and Woonsocket.

CINCINNATI and MATTHEWS, N.C. — Kroger, already one of the world’s largest retailers, is about to get even larger. The company plans to purchase all outstanding shares of Harris Teeter Supermarkets for $49.38 per share in cash. 

The merger agreement not only allows Kroger to expand its brands portfolio but also allows it to expand its market with a complementary base of 212 stores, of which 147 have pharmacies, in Southeastern and mid-Atlantic markets and in Washington, D.C.

Cincinnati -- The Kroger Co. has reached an agreement to purchase all outstanding shares of Harris Teeter Supermarkets for $49.38 per share in cash, or about $2.5 billion. Kroger will finance the transaction with debt and also assume about $100 million of debt from Harris Teeter.

Harris Teeter operates 212 stores in North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Maryland, Tennessee, Delaware, Florida, Georgia and the District of Columbia primarily in the Carolinas. The company had revenues of approximately $4.5 billion for fiscal year 2012.

Las Vegas -- Apparel retailer Bettie Page, which specializes in contemporary designs inspired by the 1940's and 50's, has made its Nashville debut. It is the company’s 15th location to date.

"Our newest Bettie Page boutique is situated in the heart of Nashville," said Jan Glaser, co-CEO, Tatyana Designs, parent company of Bettie Page.

One unique feature of the Nashville store is that the company has leased the entire 14,000-sq.-ft. building.

BREA, Calif. — Health and natural products wholesale distributor Nature's Best has hired Amy Kirtland as the company’s VP of sales. Kirtland will be responsible for leading the company's sales team and executing the company's strategic growth plans.