News

Lidl Makes Its Move on America
Churchill and the RAF weren’t available to head off this German invasion. The proliferation of German discount grocers Aldi and Lidl in the U.K. over the past decade carved out a new battlefield for Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, and Morrisons, and they are still mired in the mud. Second-quarter results released by market researcher Kantar showed the Germans growing 19% over last year, while the British Big Four edged up less than 2%.
Carter’s sales soar in Q2
Carter’s credits its U.S. retail and international segments, and its new acquisition for a jump in its second quarter sales. Net income for the quarter ended July 1, increased $1.7 million, or 4.8%, to $37.9 million, compared to $36.2 million, in the second quarter of fiscal 2016. Earnings per diluted share was or $0.78, which beat analyst expectations of $0.71 per share, according to Zacks Investment Research.

Online giant to open robotics-based facility in Michigan

Amazon is expanding its distribution fleet in the Wolverine state in a big way. The online giant plans to open an 855,000-sq.-ft. fulfillment center in Romulus, Michigan — it’s second in the state. The facility will create more than 1,500 new full-time associate roles. Associates will pick, pack, and ship smaller customer items, such as books, electronics and toys. However, these tasks will be streamlined by technology from Amazon Robotics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amazon.com.
Food Feeds Retail

The challenges of physical retail have inspired new concepts and new entrants to the supermarket business in America
Top 10 Retail Center Experiences

The Electric Daisy Carnival drew 130,000 young people to Las Vegas on its final day last year. This summer, Billy Joel will sell out his 43rd concert at Madison Square Garden, where floor tickets sell in the $200 range. No matter the age or inclination, people still want to leave the house and be with other people. They just need a really good reason to do so. Here are 10 retail centers that have some of the best reasons:
SHOP TALK

Trending Stores: No two stores are exactly alike at Warby Parker. But the popular eyewear company’s new store in Los Angeles, above, is a particular standout for its celebration of Hollywood’s moviemaking history. The store combines Warby Parker’s signature library-style design and fixtures with such location-specific elements as a classic movie theater-styled marquee with rotating titles, a Hollywood-themed mural, and a display of movie clapboards behind the checkout.
Border tariff removed from tax reform plan

The import tax proposal has officially been removed from the tax reform plan — which is welcome news for retailers across the industry. On Thursday, congressional and administration leaders announced they would remove the Border Adjustment Tax (BAT) from consideration, and announced an outline for comprehensive tax reform. The BAT provision would have ended importers’ ability to deduct the cost of merchandise purchased from other countries.
A Heated Matter

Excessive heat gain and sun glare through store windows can create challenging situations for customers as well as store associates. James Beale, managing partner of NGS Films & Graphics, discusses trends and tech advances in window films withChain Store Age.
What trends are you seeing in solar films and safety/security films in the retail space?
Online giant steps up private-label fashion game

Amazon unveiled another private-label collection. The online giant quietly introduced its new private label shoe and handbag line on Tuesday. The collection, which is called The Fix, comprises trendy designs, including satin slides, colorful sneakers and mules, studded flats, and floral-embellished boots, among other looks, according to Footwear News.
Taking the Complexity Out of Analytics

Retailers need to innovate to get the most out of data analytics
There is more data filtering through retail enterprises than ever before. But while most retailers have data collection down to a science, they still need to learn how to extract value from this information.