News

Online giant in big supply chain hiring push
Amazon is making good on its promise to hire 130,000 workers by 2018. The online giant announced Wednesday that it plans to fill more than 50,000 roles across its fulfillment network in the United States. Amazon is hiring “tens of thousands” full-time associates who will pick, pack and ship customer orders from its fulfillment centers. It will also fill supporting and managerial roles within its facilities, including human resources managers, IT specialists, and operations leaders, among other positions, the retailer said.
Study: Saving money tops parents’ back-to-school shopping lists
Parents are pulling back on their back-to-school spending, and making “essential” school supplies their top priorities. This was according to a new survey from Ebates and global internet services company Rakuten. The study, which was conducted online by Propeller Insights in June 2017, tapped 1,001 adults and 500 teens.

Candy retailer acquired with eye to expansion

The nation's largest specialty candy retailer may soon get even bigger. BBX Capital Corp. has acquired It’Sugar for approximately $57 million. BBX said it plans to expand It'Sugar, which currently operates 95 locations in 26 states, by opening new retail stores in high-traffic leisure locations.
Walmart speeds up the task of reordering frequent purchases

Walmart has found a way to make the digital shopping experience even faster. The discounter launched a new service on Tuesday that streamlines how shoppers reorder merchandise via their desktop or Walmart app. Called Easy Reorder, the service integrates shoppers’ purchase histories —a list that is comprised of merchandise purchased both in-store and online. The service curates the customer’s most purchased items — including brands and sizes.
Study: Majority of retailers adding AI tools within two years

Eager to improve customer communication, a majority of retailers plan to increase in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) moving forward. This was according to “How AI Technology Will Transform Customer Engagement,” a report from Linc and BrandGarage. The study polled 104 senior-level marketing and e-commerce executives from leading retail brands.
See’s Candies to open new stores in The Golden State

A specialty retailer continues to expand its breadth. See’s Candies plans to open nearly a dozen new or relocated stores by the end of 2017. All new locations will set up shop in California. The new stores will be located in San Jose, Castro Valley, Manhattan Beach, Paso Robles, Laguna Hills, Glendale and Calabasas. The new locations come on the heels of new shops that have previously opened or moved this year into new or larger locations in Escondido, Windsor and Pleasant Hill, California.
Rent-A-Center investors are seeing red

Investors at the nation’s largest rent-to-own company are their losing patience. Activist hedge fund Marcato Capital Management LP demanded in a letter on Tuesday, July 25, that Rent-A-Center start the process of selling itself. If the company doesn’t, the hedge fund threatened to throw out board members up for re-election at next year's annual meeting, according to Reuters.
Warehouse club operator launches mobile site

BJ’s Wholesale Club just made a big move within its digital transformation plan. The warehouse club operator introduced a mobile site that is integrate within its omnichannel strategy. In addition to using the site to browse, research and purchase items, members can also manage their memberships through their smart device.
Teen retailer pulls the plug on U.K. business

Less than three years after opening stores across the pond, American Eagle Outfitters is closing up shop in the United Kingdom. The specialty retailer operates three stores in the U.K. It has already closed one location, and is winding down operations at its remaining two stores, as well as its British e-commerce site, according to the Telegraph.
Wireless carrier expands store network

Sprint continues to expand its presence — this time in the Midwest. The wireless carrier plans to add 30 new retail stores and more than 200 jobs throughout Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Nebraska by the end of 2017. The new jobs will include a combination of retail, operations and technical experts.
Luxury department store puts a restructuring plan in motion

Neiman Marcus is making moves to offset its debt and improve its capital structure. The luxury department store’s first step was to eliminate 225 positions. Affected employees — which span all brands and operating divisions — will receive severance packages, and also be considered for other job openings within the company, according to the Dallas News.
Duluth Holdings names former Nordstrom exec as CFO

A casual clothing and workwear retailer has ended its hunt for a new finance chief. Duluth Holdings has appointed Dave Loretta as senior VP and CFO. Loretta will succeed retiring CFO Mark DeOrio. Prior to joining Duluth Trading, Loretta launched and operated his own company, Pacific Time, LLC, a unique food and beverage business, from 2014 to 2016. Prior to managing his own firm, Loretta held various roles at Nordstrom.