Distribution

Tamasakai, Japan -- Costco Wholesale said Tuesday that two people died when a parking garage collapsed at its warehouse in Tamasakai during the earthquake, according to a report by the Seattle Times.
 
The store sustained significant damage and will remain closed for several months for inspections and repairs, said Costco.

Completion of a previously announced acquisition combined with organic growth will result in the addition of 168 stores to Asda’s existing 386 units and push Walmart’s U.K. division past the 500-unit mark.

New York City -- A Manhattan bankruptcy judge on Thursday has cleared the path for Blockbuster to sell itself to a group of hedge funds, preventing the movie rental chain from having to liquidate its assets.

Judge Burton R. Lifland has approved procedures for the auction of Blockbuster, with a $290 million initial offer from a group of senior bondholders led by hedge fund Monarch Alternative Capital.
 

New York City -- The Arkansas Senate voted Thursday to require many out-of-state online retailers to collect sales taxes the same way in-state stores do, a move that is pitting Wal-Mart Stores against online stores and anti-tax activists, the Associated Press reported.

NEW YORK -- Phillips-Van Heusen and Comfort Revolution announced that they have entered into a licensing agreement under which Comfort Revolution will market and distribute memory foam bedding and stadium seat cushions under PVH’s IZOD brand. The licensing agreement has an initial term of just over two years and provides for a three-year renewal at PVH’s option.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- An online order and same-day pick up service will be expanded to all Walmart stores beginning this month, the company announced. The “Pick-Up Today” service allows shoppers who make a purchase online to pick up their merchandise within about four hours if the order is placed before 6 p.m. Orders place after that time are available for pick up the next day before 10 a.m.

Atlanta -- The Hudson's Bay Co., based in Toronto, Ontario, said it has selected Warehouse Management from Manhattan Associates to help raise productivity within its distribution centers.

The retailer also selected solutions from Manhattan’s Transportation Lifecycle Management suite to streamline transportation processes for HBC across Canada, as well as for Lord & Taylor across the United States.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores announced Thursday that it will launch a national rollout of its “Pick Up Today” program later in March, expanding its multichannel offerings to allow shoppers to purchase items online and receive free same-day pickup at a local Walmart store.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores, in a presentation at a Bank of America Merrill Lynch conference on Thursday, announced that it would open “hundreds” of smaller-format stores over the next three years.

According to Bill Simon, president and CEO of Wal-Mart U.S., the ramped-up development could be augmented by some acquisition activity, although he didn’t elaborate on specifics.

London -- Wm. Morrison Supermarkets PLC said Thursday that it has acquired a 10% stake in U.S. online grocer FreshDirect, based in New York City.

According to Morrison, the U.K. fourth-largest supermarket chain, the acquisition marks its debut in the online food market.

Morrison has also announced plans to test a c-store format and to expand its grocery store counts in order to increase its presence in the U.K grocery market.