News

Unusual new retail startup aimed at ‘sneakerheads’
Whatever you may have been doing at age 17, it was likely less impressive than launching a new e-commerce/ social media platform aimed at sneaker aficionados.

But that’s just what New York-based 17-year-old sneaker enthusiast Anthony Debrantt has done, founding a new online and mobile marketplace called Sneakmart. The site has offers hundreds of thousands of new and used sneakers, including major brands.
Whole Foods Market reveals highlights of its new value-priced 365 chain
Expect the 365 by Whole Foods Market store format to look much different than the traditional Whole Foods store.

The concept, debuting in late May in Los Angeles, will feature a no-frills design, low fixtures and all-digital price tags, reported Business Insider, which was given a sneak peak of the format.

To see renderings of 365 and learn more about its details, click here.

Whole Foods Market teams up with two eateries for its second 365 store

Whole Foods Market will open its second 365 by Whole Foods Market store on July 14, in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The new format will make its debut in on May 25, in Los Angeles.
Walmart wants you – if you’re a start-up with good ideas

Walmart is looking for innovative technology ideas – and casting a wide net to find them.

The discount retailer is launching a “Technology Open Call” aimed at retail technology start-ups. Walmart will consider technology spanning all of retail, including capabilities around the store shopping experience, associate experience, logistics, big data, security and/or social media.
Market focus: Chicago’s shifting retail landscape

Chicago is one of the nation’s leading retail markets and a new report from Mid-America Real Estate details the area’s evolving growth patterns, retailers driving development and hot properties.
GNC to sell 84 corporate-owned stores to a franchise powerhouse

One of the nation’s largest franchisees will soon also be operating GNC stores.

Moving ahead with its plan to reduce its corporate-owned store footprint, GNC announced plans to sell 84 company-owned locations to Dallas-based Sun Holdings for about $17 million. The retailer revealed the sale amid disappointing first quarter results.
Cabela’s to introduce new design concept in two upcoming stores

Cabela’s will debut a “cost-effective” design in its two newly announced store locations.

The outdoor apparel and goods retailer announced two new locations, one in McDonough, Georgia, opening in fall 2017, and one in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, opening in fall 2017 or spring 2018.

The locations, both 70,000 sq. ft. each, are designed around a new concept that the retailer said is more cost effective "in a focused effort to bring more its stores to more convenient locations" to better serve customers.
Industry expert cites flexible fulfillment, video as leading IT trends

Industry veteran Jill Standish, senior managing director of retailer for Accenture Consulting, recently spoke with Chain Store Age about what she sees as some of the biggest IT-related trends facing the industry. Here is her take on the trends:
Amazon surges in Q1; devices, cloud services fuel revenue growth

Amazon.com Inc. swung from loss to profit and significantly boosted net sales during a first quarter that topped analysts expectations.

The world’s largest online retailer reported better-than-expected net income of $513 million, compared to a net loss of $57 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2015.
Global instability, violent extremism among top 12 risk trends impacting the supply chain

Effectively managing an end-to-end supply chain is a tricky proposition for most retailers.

No matter where a retailer is located or what products they sell, their supply chain likely extends across the globe, exposing them to a wide variety of potential issues. In a new report, “Is Your Luck Running Out? Managing Supply Risk in Uncertain Times,” A.T. Kearney identifies 12 specific risk trends, most negative but some with mixed or even positive impact that will affect the supply chain through 2025.