News

Amazon eyes messaging startup
Amazon may be looking to bolster its enterprise services offering with an innovative addition. Corporate chatroom startup Slack Technologies has received inquiries of late about a potential takeover from technology companies, including Amazon. The company is valued at approximately $9 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Survey: Employee theft on the rise
In a sobering statistic, one out of every 27 employees was apprehended for theft from their employer in 2016. That's according to “The 29th Annual Retail Theft Survey,” conducted by Jack L. Hayes International, a loss prevention and inventory shrinkage control consulting firm. The survey is based on reports on over 380,000 shoplifting apprehensions that took place in 23 large retail companies, representing 16,038 stores with combined 2016 annual sales in excess of $370 billion.

CBRE: E-commerce still lacks traction in some retail categories

E-commerce has generated significant volumes of sales in the electronics and clothing industries, but has yet to gain traction in other retail sectors.
Experts Weigh In: Amazon to buy Whole Foods for $13.7 billion

Chuck Grom, analyst, Gordon Haskett analyst:
Home goods retailer turned hotel operator adds new location

West Elm has announced the newest location for its fledgling West Elm Hotels portfolio. The company, a division of Williams-Sonoma, is teaming up with Signature Development Group and Jordan Real Estate Investments to develop a hotel in Oakland, Calif. Expected to open in 2020, the hotel will be located in Oakland’s Uptown neighborhood, and will celebrate the rich diversity and history of the location.
J. Crew clinches lender support to trim debt load

J. Crew is entering into a deal that it expects will put it one step closer to improving its business. The fashion retailer has won the support of more than 50% of its term loan holders to trim its $2 billion debt load and end intellectual property litigation. This was according to sources familiar with the situation, according to Reuters.
TreeHouse, Dallas

Eco-friendly home improvement retailer TreeHouse's new outpost in Dallas is billed as the nation's first energy-positive (meaning it will generate more energy than it uses) big-box store. The 35,000-sq.-ft. space offers a curated selection of products, materials and technologies — some not available elsewhere—designed to promote healthy and sustainable spaces. It also offers turn-key services and programs, including kitchen and bath design. solar energy kits, home insulation and "smart" home installation.
Amazon granted anti-showrooming patent

Despite the many sales that showrooming has afforded Amazon over the years, the retailer surely doesn't want to become a victim going forward.
Judge rules supermarket chain must make web site accessible

Website accessibility is shaping up as the next big challenge for retailers with regards to ADA compliance. A Miami federal judge has ruled that Winn-Dixie violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not making its website, which was recently updated, accessible to blind and visually impaired users, the Miami Herald reported. The Jacksonville, Florida-based supermarket chain has set aside $250,000 to revamp its online site and was ordered to pay the plaintiff’s legal fees, according to the report.
Supermarket giant cuts profit outlook

The Kroger Co. lowered its earnings guidance amid a decline in Q1 same-store sales as price competition in the supermarket industry intensifies. Sales rose 4.9% to a better-than-expected $36.3 billion for the quarter ended May 20, up from $34.6 billion last year. Same-store sales excluding fuel declined 0.2%, the second consecutive quarter of decline.
Lidl opens its first round of U.S. stores

German discount grocery retailer Lidl made its hotly-awaited debut in the United States on Thursday, opening the first nine of 20 locations it plan to open over the summer. The chain expects to have 100 stores up and running within a year.
Amazon brings two-hour deliveries to Denver

Shoppers in Denver are getting their first taste of Amazon Prime Now. The service, which is exclusive to the online giant’s Prime members, provides free two-hour delivery on tens of thousands of items, from household and daily essentials to electronics, games and outdoor supplies. Area Prime members can order through Amazon’s Prime Now app, available on iOS and Android devices, Amazon’s web site, or “speak” orders to their Alexa device.