News

Despite 16 consecutive years of positive same-store sales growth among key categories, Casey’s General Stores’ top and bottom line revenues missed the mark in the fourth quarter.  

E-commerce sales may be hitting all-time highs, but the key to success is seamless online returns processes.   This was according to “Making Returns a Competitive Advantage,” a re-port from Navar. The report is based on responses from 700 U.S. con-sumers who returned an online purchase in the past 12 months.  

The battle for low-income shoppers is heating up.    Amazon announced that individuals participating in government assistance programs can sign up for Amazon Prime membership at the discounted rate of $5.99 per month. The regular annual membership for Prime is $99 per year, or $10.99 a month for those who prefer to pay on a monthly basis.  

Retailers could unlock $2.95 trillion in value over the next decade simply by investing in transforming, digitally driven business models.   

Walmart is once again raising the stakes in the online grocery game.   In another move that takes a direct hit at AmazonFresh Pickup, the discounter quietly began testing an automated kiosk at a single store in Oklahoma. The 20-ft.-by-80-ft. kiosk, which resides in the parking lot at the Walmart Super Center in Oklahoma City, is fulfilling hundreds of grocery orders placed by customers who shop online or through their mobile browser, according to The Oklahoman.  

Amazon is giving Prime members another way to shop — through their Amazon Fire TV.   Amazon Fire TV already streams Web-based content, such as videos, music and games on the “big screen.” Now Amazon’s new app lets Prime members search and browse Amazon products and make purchases directly through their Fire TV remote, according to TechCrunch.  

Sears is freshening up its offering through a new partnership.   The department store retailer now features the Regatta Great Outdoors collection in 11 New England-based stores. The brand, which is based in Manchester, England, features active, performance, outdoor, and leisure wear. This is the brand’s first U.S. retail store debut.  

The public feud between Eddie Lampert, chairman and CEO of Sears, and a top supplier seems to have been resolved.   In his May 15 blog, Lampert took aim at some of the chain’s vendors in a blog post. It read:  

Meijer plans to open its smallest urban store yet — but with a twist.   The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based grocer’s newest store will be nearly 30,000 sq. ft., but it won’t feature the Meijer moniker. Instead, the store will go by the name, Bridge Street Market. Construction begins in July, and is expected to be open for business in the early fall of 2018.  

Already navigating tumbling sales, Macy’s is preparing for even tighter margins.   At the company’s annual investor day, Macy’s CFO Karen Hoguet said that second-quarter gross margins are running about 1 percentage point below what they were last year. The company is slashing costs in a bid to maintain its earnings forecast, which it reaffirmed on Tuesday, according to Bloomberg.