Store Systems

New York City -- Macy's and some 4,000 of its New York-area workers said Thursday they have reached a tentative contract agreement after a night of negotiations.

The agreement, if ratified, will avert what could have been the department store chain's first strike in nearly 40 years.

"Following an all-night negotiating session, Macy's is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with Local 1-S of the RWDSU on a new five-year agreement," Jim Sluzewski, Macy's spokesman, said.

Seattle -- Starbucks Corp. launched an application Wednesday that lets customers purchase goods with their Android smartphones. The company already has similar applications nationwide for BlackBerry and iPhone and iPod touch in January.

The application also allows customers to load their Starbucks loyalty card accounts, check card balances and find stores nearby, and it notifies customers of promotions and other discounts.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Staples announced that it has launched a mobile version of its website. The M.Staples.com mobile site is optimized for smartphones and features enhanced product ratings and reviews, one click to an ink and toner finder, a Staples retail store locator with automatic GPS, store inventory lookup and enhanced on-site search, including an auto-suggest feature, the company reported. 

Staples' new mobile website also allows users to share product reviews and become a fan of Staples on Facebook, or follow Staples on Twitter.

New York City -- Ron Johnson’s decision to leave Apple, where he serves as senior VP of retail, to take the reins of J.C. Penney Co. leaves the tech giant without a retail chief as it begins to ramp up its international expansion.

Apple plans to open 40 stores this fiscal year, with almost three-quarters of them outside the United States, the company announced in April. A big growth area is Asia.
Apple has said very little with regards to its plans to replace Johnson.

New York City -- Wal-Mart Stores is ramping up the opening of its mid-sized Neighborhood Market format, which is being renamed Walmart Market, said  Bill Simon, president and CEO, Walmart U.S., on Wednesday at the William Blair & Co. Growth Stock Conference in Chicago.

The Market stores, which average around 42,000 sq. ft., are delivering returns on the same level as supercenters, Simon said, and can be approved and built in less time.

By Wil Putt, [email protected]

New York City -- Ron Johnson, credited with building Apple’s retail empire, is leaving the high-tech company to become CEO of J.C. Penney Co.

Johnson, who served as senior VP of retail for Apple, will assume the chief executive role on Nov. 1. He will report to current CEO Myron (Mike) Ullman, III, who will become executive chairman. Johnson will also join the company's board, effective Aug. 1.

London -- U.K. mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse Group PLC reported Tuesday that its loss for its Best Buy U.K. joint venture widened to $102 million in the year to March 31, compared with a loss of $34 million in the prior year. CEO Roger Taylor has warned analysts to expect further losses of between $82 million and $98 million this year.