News

Bankrupt Hhgregg Inc.’s proposed purchase by an anonymous buyer has collapsed.   

Time-starved shoppers expect their favorite grocers to have the staples they need when they enter the store — and supermarkets are hard-pressed to deliver.  

Bolstered by positive consumer indicators, retail CFOs are largely optimistic for 2017. But competition and consolidation could cloud their outlook.    That’s according to BDO USA’s 11th annual Retail Compass Survey of CFOs, in which respondents predict a 4.9% bump in total sales this year, up from 3.4% in 2016. The bullish predictions are echoed by online sales projections, with a 10.7% increase expected for the year ahead — the highest in survey history.   

As it prepares to enter “a high-growth period” for its online business, Solstice Sunglasses needed a solution that could support this endeavor and future expansion plans.   Solstice, a retailer with 105 store locations throughout the U.S,  strives to offer the same level of service to both online and in-store customers looking for luxury, designer and sport sunglasses. To achieve this goal, the company selected the ncommerce platform, an end-to-end digital commerce platform from Newgistics.  

Delhaize America is always striving to reduce inventory levels, yet still maintain fresh perishables as they move between its distribution centers and stores.   Besides being a challenge, managing fresh and short-shelf-life products is called one of the toughest tasks related to retail planning. Delhaize hopes to ease this struggle with a new supply chain solution from Relex that will forecast and replenish perishable categories within its distribution centers.  

An official from the town of North Myrtle Beach in South Carolina is looking forward to more jobs and tourist income from the expansion of a shopping center in the beach resort area.   RealtyLink, a developer of power centers in the Southeast and Midwest, is about halfway done with its phase three expansion of the Coastal North Town Center & Village Shoppes on Highway 17. The 147,000-sq.-ft. addition will take the center size beyond 540,000 sq. ft.  

Starbucks has debuted its in-store Reserve coffee bar concept in downtown Seattle.      The new store combines the educational aspects of the company’s Reserve Roastery format and its rare small-lot Reserve coffees within a traditional Starbucks setting, complete with such regular coffee and Frappuccinos.    It’s estimated that Starbucks locations with the Reserve bar will make up 20% of the company’s global store portfolio over time.   

La Madeleine, the country French-inspired bakery-café, is turning to a new growth strategy that includes selling its corporate owned stores to fast track its expansion.  

Walmart continues to grow both its e-commerce and fashion presence.    On Friday, the discounter announced it had acquired the assets and operations of online retailer ModCloth, which specializes in eclectic and quirky apparel and accessories for 18- to 35-year-old women. The company did not reveal the purchase price.  

Toy Kingdom, a specialty toy store concept from Shinsegae, the largest retailer in South Korea, boasts a store environment that is larger than life and highly experiential.