News

New York – Walmart on Wednesday sent out a tweet in which it commended Arkansas Gov. Hutchinson and legislative leaders for reconsidering a law that some people and organizations fear would open the door to discrimination against gays and lesbians. The “religious freedom” measure (HB1228) in Arkansas is similar to the one that has kicked up a firestorm in Indiana. Earlier in the day on Wednesday, Gov, Hutchinson said he wouldn’t sign the bill in its present form and called for changes to be made.

By Rich Thompson, JLL
 
Port problems on the West coast are giving retailers more than just a headache; it’s more like a severe case of sea sickness. But diversifying supply chain strategies can take the edge off.

Seattle – Some observers thought it might be an April Fools prank, but Amazon.com has officially released its Amazon Dash mobile ordering device for AmazonFresh customers. Chain Store Age readers had no confusion as we first reported the pilot of Dash in April 2014, but here is a brief primer of how Dash works.

Hosuton - Fashion accessories retailer Charming Charlie recently expanded its relationship with Stored Value Solutions (SVS) to offer e-commerce distribution of digital gift cards. Charming Charlie originally associated with SVS in 2012 for gift card processing in their more than 340 stores across the U.S.

Since introducing online access to digital eCards to complement the availability of physical cards, Charming Charlie gift cards purchased online during the winter holiday season grew by an exponential rate year-over-year.

Fort Worth, Texas – In what may be a tale of survival to rival the PT 109 ordeal of John F. Kennedy, RadioShack Corp. will exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy with some 1,700 stores intact.  

A bankruptcy judge on Tuesday approved the sale of 1,743 RadioShack stores to hedge fund Standard General, preserving some 7,500 jobs, the Wall Street Journal reported. Standard General intends to operate most of the preserved RadioShack stores in an alliance with Sprint Corp.

Hong Kong – Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has appointed Yu Yongfu as president of the company’s online marketing unit, Alimama, to spearhead the business into new areas of growth. Yongfu joined Alibaba Group in June 2014 to lead the company’s mobile business unit.

Prior to joining Alibaba Group, Yongfu was chief executive of Chinese mobile browser company UCWeb. UCWeb was acquired by Alibaba Group in June 2014. Yongfu will begin his new position today and will report to Daniel Zhang, Alibaba Group’s COO.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – Sears Holding Corp. is forming a real estate investment trust (REIT) called Seritage Growth Properties, which will purchase 254 Sears and Kmart stores for more than $2.5 billion. Seritage will partially fund the transaction through a public rights offering.

Armonk, N.Y. – There is a significant perception gap between how well businesses think they are marketing and the actual customer's experience. A U.S. study of 276 marketers and more than 1,100 consumers, developed by Econsultancy for IBM found that almost 90% of marketers agree that personalizing the customer experience is critical to their success.

Despite this widespread agreement, nearly 80% of consumers stated that the average brand doesn't understand them as an individual.

Decatur, Ill. - Decatur Earthmover Credit Union has selected the Buzz Points merchant-funded loyalty program. Buzz Points is free for consumers and allows credit union members to earn rewards by using their debit cards for everyday shopping.   

New York -- Technology is both disrupting and revitalizing retail, according to a new report by Fung Business Intelligence Centre Global Retail & Technology (FBIC).