Store Systems

Walmart is changing the way it stocks merchandise in its small-format Neighborhood Market Stores.     In a blog on its website, the discounter announced that in more than 430 of its Neighborhood Market stores that are already closed overnight, it is shifting overnight stocking hours to the daytime and using technology to make the inventory management process easier. The retailer said it initially piloted day-stocking in 50 stores in and around the Tampa and Dallas areas with "very encouraging" results. 

Kohl's is extending its collaboration with Amazon in a way that is almost sure to drive increased traffic into its stores while solving one of the online giant's biggest challenges.     The department store retailer will begin accepting Amazon.com returns at 82 Kohl's stores in Los Angeles and Chicago. The chain will not only ship eligible items back to an Amazon fulfillment center free of charge, but will also pack up the goods for shipping if the customer has not done so.    

Walgreens Boots Alliance secured regulatory approval for a deal to buy stores from Rite Aid Corp. after a reduction in the number of stores and price. The deal will still enable Walgreens to dramatically increase its store footprint, giving it a total of about 10,000 U.S. locations.   

Consumers continue to make the majority of their purchases at the physical store. However, their constant connectivity to the cloud through smartphones, laptops, tablets and smart watches — combined with the popularity of e-commerce — is redefining their expectations of the ideal in-store experience. Today, consumers want the same convenience, personalization and simplicity they’ve grown accustomed to online.    

If you’re not in gaming or medical arts, virtual reality is likely to be one of those items that sits on your to-do list, but is not likely to be near the top. It’s one of those items for which many a business person elects late-adopter status: Let the tech geeks and early adopters figure it all out and then I’ll jump in when it becomes relevant to me.  

There's been a changing of the guard at Dollar Tree as the man who grew the chain into a $22 billion retail powerhouse moves on to a new role.    The discounter has appointed Gary Philbin, enterprise president, as CEO, effective immediately. He succeeds Bob Sasser, who will become executive chairman of Dollar Tree's board.   

Nordstrom has opened its sixth location in Canada.    The department store retailer on Friday opened its doors at CF Sherway Gardens, its third full-line location in Toronto. The two-level, 140,000-sq.-ft. store follows the retailer's openings at Toronto's CF Toronto Eaton Centre and Yorkdale Shopping Centre last fall. The opening comes as rumors mount that the company is about to go private in a buyout deal. http://www.chainstoreage.com/article/nordstrom-edging-closer-going-private  

Fewer stores translates into reduced holiday hiring for Macy's this year.   Macy's plans to hire a total of 80,000 workers for the holiday rush, down from about 83,000 last year. The company has been closing underperforming stores and currently operates some 70 fewer stores than it did last year.