News

Costco to give rare payout
In an action that reflects its strong performance, Costco Wholesale Corp. is about to return some $3.1 billion to investors. The retailer announced a special cash dividend on Costco common stock of $7.00 per share, payable May 26, 2017, to shareholders. The dividend is in addition to a 5 cent increase of the company’s quarterly cash dividend to 50 cents a share.
Office supplies giant sells another international unit
Office Depot continues to make good on its promise to focus on its North American business. The retailer said it has closed on the sale of its business in South Korea to Excelsior Capital Asia, a Hong Kong- and Korea-based direct investment firm. Excelsior invests throughout Asia on behalf of major Korean institutions, pension funds and private family offices.

Big center going up near Disney World

Williams Company Southeast has announced plans to break ground on what it claims will be the biggest to be built in Central Florida for years. Vineland Point, a 447,500-sq.-ft. project developed by O’Connor Capital Partners on I-4 and Daryl Carter Parkway in Orlando exceeds the size of The Crosslands, another O’Connor project constructed by Williams that opened in Kissimmee in 2015.
Fresh Market to anchor South Carolina Center

Fresh Market will open its second location in South Carolina’s capital region in the growing upscale suburb of Lexington.
Fashion retailer moves data out of the ‘lake’ and into the cloud

Harnessing customer-specific data is paramount for RueLaLa to engage shoppers and foster long-term customer relationships.
Report: Amazon explores the value of self-driving vehicles

Always in search of more efficient, cheaper delivery methods, Amazon is exploring a new avenue. The online giant has created a think tank that is evaluating how driverless vehicles could improve package delivery speeds, according to NewsMax. The group, which is comprised of 12 members, began brainstorming on the initiative more than a year ago. However, the group is not designing a fleet of driverless vehicles.
Consumer confidence slips in April

April's consumer confidence metric didn't live up to the new benchmark established in March, when consumer confidence reached a 16-year high. This month, the Index declined to 120.3 from 124.9 in March.
Albertsons makes exec appointment

Albertsons Cos. on Monday appointed the president of its Jewel-Osco division, Mike Withers as executive VP, retail operations, Albertsons. Withers will lead the company's East Region operations, while current executive VP, retail operations Susan Morris will lead the West Region. Jim Perkins, executive VP, retail operations Special Projects, is focused on targeted initiatives to accelerate growth. All three executives will continue to report to Wayne Denningham, president and COO, ALbertsons.
Women’s sporting goods retailer elevates its brand message

Title Nine is dedicated to creating a community among its shoppers — and now its e-commerce site supports this endeavor.
Study: Amazon Prime doubles in size in two years

The number of Amazon Prime members are on the rise. An estimated 60% of Amazon customers are Prime members, a group that is comprised of roughly 80 million members in the United States, according to research from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP). The study is based on responses from 500 U.S. shoppers who made a purchase at Amazon.com between January and March.