News Briefs

A cooperative food wholesaler to independently-owned supermarkets is building on a partnership with a customer rewards app.

Roberts Company Inc., a grocery chain operating Corner Market and Grocery Depot locations in the Jackson/Hattiesburg, Miss. area which is an Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) member, is teaming with Upside. The Upside app provides cash back rewards to customers of participating retailers.

AWG initially partnered with Upside in 2023 and has been extending the app’s availability to more member grocers. In addition to increasing loyalty and shopping frequency among existing customers, AWG and Roberts Company hope to attract incremental visits and spending from new customers who may be more motivated by prices and rewards rather than by specific brands.

“We’re thrilled to have connected Roberts Company Inc. with the Upside team to help grow Roberts’ customer base and capture untapped market share,” said Tye Anthony, chief merchandising and marketing officer, AWG. “At AWG, our mission is to provide our member retailers all the tools, products and services they need to compete favorably in all markets served. Upside is a key partner in helping Roberts achieve those goals.”

[READ MORE: Instacart, AWG expand partnership]

AWG is the nation's largest cooperative food wholesaler to independently owned supermarkets, serving 1,100 member companies and more than 3,500 locations throughout 32 states from nine wholesale divisions.

Upside is live at nearly 100,000 U.S. grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and convenience stores nationwide, and over 35 million consumers have access to Upside’s promotions through its app and partner apps.

A deal that would take Nordstrom Inc. private is reportedly close to being signed.

The Nordstrom family and Mexican retail giant El Puerto de Liverpool are closing in on a deal to acquiring the century-old department store company, reported WWD, with an agreement expected soon, reported WWD. 

In September, Nordstrom family members — including CEO Erik Nordstrom and his brother Pete, who serves as president — and El Puerto de Liverpool offered to buy the department store retailer and take it private for $23 per share. The bid, which valued the company at approximately $3.76 billion, came several months after Nordstrom said it formed a special committee to explore a sale.

El Puerto de Liverpool, which operates more than 300 stores across Mexico, owns a nearly 10% stake in Nordstrom. The Nordstrom family owns a 33.4% stake.

Similar to other department store retailers, Nordstrom has struggled with sluggish sales in recent years. Sales in its most recent third quarter (ended Nov. 2), however, increased 4.3% to $10.4 billion on top of a 3.4% rise in its second quarter. Total company comparable third-quarter sales increased 4.0%.

Nordstrom was founded in 1901 by John Nordstrom, the great-grandfather of Erik and Peter Nordstrom.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Centerview Partners LLC are acting as financial advisors to the special committee, and Sidley Austin LLP and Perkins Coie LLP are acting as legal counsel.

H&M Group has invested in a retail technology platform that empowers retailers, e-commerce businesses and brands to build long-lasting customer relationships.

The fashion giant has acquired a minority stake in Voyado, which is based in Stockholm. The platform drives profitable sales by optimizing e-commerce, creating personalized customer experiences and streamlining communication across channels, Voyado stated in a release.

H&M has been a Voyado customer for many years. The retailer said the investment is a natural evolution of their partnership, “strengthening collaboration and amplifying the impact of Voyado's solutions across global markets.”

"We are really impressed by Voyado's journey so far,” said Erik Lagerblad, head of H&M Group Ventures. “After rolling out their solution globally, we've seen firsthand the difference it makes in creating value at scale. That's why it makes perfect sense for the H&M Group to deepen our partnership through an investment, which will further support Voyado's future growth and strengthen their offering for other enterprise customers."

H&M’s investment comes as Voyado readies for its next growth phase: expanding into key markets such as the U.K. and Germany. 

"Our ambition is to establish Voyado as Northern Europe's most beloved retail tech companion while maintaining profitability and scalability,” said Erica Sandelin Ekelund, CEO of Voyado. “H&M Group's investment will provide additional resources and expertise to help us further develop our platform and support an increasingly international customer base, benefiting existing and new customers."

There’s been a shift in seasonal retail hiring  amid the rise of online shopping.

Retailers added 280,500 jobs in November, down 5% from the same month last year, according to an analysis by Challenger, Gray & Christmas using non-seasonally adjusted data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is the second-lowest total for November after 263,200 seasonal retail jobs were added in 2022.

So far this season, retailers have added 414,400 seasonal jobs, down 7% from the 444,500 jobs added in October and November last year. Challenger predicted retailers would add 520,000 seasonal jobs in the fourth quarter down 8% from 564,200 added October through December 2023.

Transportation & Warehousing 

In the transportation and warehousing sector, employers have added 155,300 seasonal jobs in November, up 11% from the 140,300 jobs added in November last year. So far this quarter, employers in this sector have added 207,400 jobs, up 1% from the 204,700 seasonal positions employers in this sector added in October and November 2023.

“With the rise of online shopping, we’re seeing a shift in seasonal hiring from traditional retail roles to transportation and warehousing positions,” said Andrew Challenger, senior VP of Challenger, Gray & Christmas. “These jobs often come with higher wages and benefits, making them a more attractive option compared to some retail positions.”

Seasonal employers announced plans to hire 659,850 workers this season, the highest total since 2021, when hiring plans reached 961,300, according to Challenger’s tracking. The firm has tracked seasonal hiring plans since 2012.

A member of the Ace Hardware co-operative is building on an existing relationship with an enterprise solutions provider.

Ace Retail Holdings, a division of Ace Hardware Corporation, has selected Mi9 Retail as its enterprise retail partner for merchandising and POS technology. This implementation builds on years of an existing relationship in which Mi9 has been a partner to Ace Retail Holdings and its Westlake Ace chain.

"Our team conducted an exhaustive review of the top vendors in the space, and it was an intensive effort," said Joe Jefferies, president and CEO of Ace Retail Holdings. "We spent months reviewing the alternatives and kept coming back to Mi9 as the best fit of our needs now and for the coming period." 

[READ MORE: Ace Retail Holdings to expand Midwest footprint]

Chainwide, Ace Hardware which is celebrating its 100th year in business, is implementing advanced digital shelf label (DSL) technology from VusionGroup across its stores. The DSLs enable Ace Hardware to update pricing at the store level, in a matter of seconds. LEDs installed on each DSL offer expanded use for in-store picking, put to light, pick to light, and wayfinding for associates and customers.

Ace Retail Holdings currently owns and operates more than 250 Ace hardware stores nationwide under the Buikema's Ace, Dennis Company Ace, Great Lakes Ace, Westlake Ace, and Outer Banks Ace brands. Oak Brook, Ill.-based Ace Hardware Corp. operates more than 5,000 stores around the world, with a total annual revenue of approximately $6.9 billion. 

Bloomingdale's has tapped a new e-commerce partner to improve the online shopping experience of customers.

The department retailer has launched a partnership with Lucky that will enable luxury brands to seamlessly connect their direct-to-consumer (DTC) websites with Bloomingdale's in-store inventory. Starting today, online shoppers can instantly check the availability of their favorite luxury products at their local Bloomingdale's stores while browsing their preferred brand's website.

The integration enables customers to make purchases through Bloomingdale's for same-day pickup or delivery, providing the most expedient way to acquire desired products from their local stores. Lucky says that brands will gain “unprecedented capabilities” to connect their customers with retail inventory and track conversions directly on their e-commerce websites.

[READ MORE: Salesforce: Global online holiday sales hit $849 billion so far]

"We are excited to partner with Bloomingdale's to transform the luxury shopping experience by bridging the gap between online discovery and immediate accessibility," said Sneh Parmar, CEO and co-founder of Lucky. "Bloomingdale's has been an innovative force in luxury retail, and integrating their inventory systems with Lucky's platform creates a powerful solution for brands and their customers. This partnership enables brands to offer their online customers instant access to Bloomingdale's curated departments, combining the convenience of digital shopping with the prestigious Bloomingdales experience."

A division of Macy’s, Inc., Bloomingdale's currently operates 32 full-line stores, 21 Bloomingdale's The Outlet stores and four Bloomie's stores. In addition, Bloomingdale's has an international presence with locations in Dubai and Kuwait.