News

Milestone store opening for Dollar General
Dollar General is celebrating an important milestone. The discounter has opened its 14,000th retail location. The store is located in Dauphin, Pa. “Dollar General is excited to celebrate our company’s continued growth by celebrating our 14,000th store grand opening today,” said Todd Vasos, CEO, Dollar General. “For nearly 80 years, Dollar General has continually been focused on delivering everyday low prices, convenience and value to the communities we serve."
Walmart expands online grocery delivery via Uber
The nation's largest retailer continues to beef up its defenses against Amazon. Walmart is expanding its online grocery delivery pilot via Uber to Orlando and Dallas. The pilot is currently ongoing in Phoenix and Tampa, Fla. (The chain also runs its own grocery delivery service in Denver and San Jose, California.) Walmart announced the expansion just days prior to a scheduled vote by Whole Foods Market's shareholders on its pending acquisition by Amazon.

‘In Real Life’ is the Next Frontier of E-Commerce — And Brick-and-Mortar

With many traditional brick-and-mortar retailers struggling in the new era of retail, online-first retailers such as Warby Parker and even Amazon have become increasingly invested in getting into the physical store game.
Wal-Mart envisions ‘floating warehouse’

Amazon isn't the only retailer thinking about drones. Wal-Mart Stores has applied for a patent for a blimp-styled "floating warehouse" that could make deliveries directly to shoppers’ homes via drones, Bloomberg reported. The machine would fly at heights between 500 ft. and 1,000 ft. and be equipped with multiple launching bays. It would be operated autonomously or by a remote human pilot.
Slideshow: TJX's new U.S. concept opens

TJX Companies has taken the wraps off its newest U.S. retail format, Homesense, which debuted at Shopper's World plaza in Framingham, Mass. The new concept, which TJX has described as a complement to its Home Goods format, has expanded departments for large-scale furniture, lighting and art. It also features new departments, including a general store.
Survey: Walmart, Target and Old Navy tops in awareness — and that's not all

Back-to-school advertising appears to be losing some of its resonance with consumers. Walmart, Target and Old Navy scored the highest awareness levels among consumers (with children under the age of 18) in a survey of BTS advertising from 30 retailers by YouGov BrandIndex. But many retailers scored less than last year.
Outdoor apparel and gear brand runs first TV ad
Regulatory Wrap-Up: Updates on paid leave, cybersecurity and trade

Wages
Convenience store giant wins energy efficiency award

7-Eleven is being honored for its commitment to reducing energy. The Alliance to Save Energy has awarded 7-Eleven with the Alliance to Save Energy "Built Environment" award for its commitment to reducing energy consumption and improving efficiency in its stores. 7-Eleven has successfully decreased electricity use in store operations by an estimated 21% over the past seven years through installing LED lighting, energy management systems and high-efficiency HVAC units.
Target and Best Buy among speakers at annual cybersecurity summit

The Retail Cyber Intelligence Sharing Center (R-CISC) has announced featured speakers for its Retail Cyber Intelligence Summit, held October 3 - 4, 2017, in Chicago. Among the keynote speakers are Rich Agostino, chief information security officer at Target Corp, who will lead a session titled, "Stepping into Leadership: Staying Ahead of Today's Threats and the Evolving CISO Role," and Kostas Georgakopoulos, CISO at Procter & Gamble, leading a session on the next evolution of information security.