News

Every time a retailer files for bankruptcy I am reminded of a harshly appropriate comment Jay Leno made in a monologue years ago after an icon of American retailing succumbed to market forces.

Montgomery Ward (remember them?), a company with an illustrious history that had a tremendous influence on the evolution of the retail industry, filed for bankruptcy in 1997 and was later liquidated.

As online gift registries become more popular with shoppers, Shopko is giving its gift registry service an omnichannel makeover.

Shopko has joined forces with MyRegistry.com to offer Shopko customers access to MyRegistry.com’s software platform and services. The partnership enables Shopko shoppers to create and manage personal gift registries using the myregistry.com platform and technology, including an in-store mobile scanning app.

Petco is leveraging the power of its multichannel capabilities to educate its shoppers about pet nutrition.

The retailer is launching an initiative focused on the importance of proper nutrition for pets.

Facing significant headwinds in its core business of bookselling, Books-A-Million has received a take-private proposal by the family who hold a majority of the company's shares.

The Anderson family has proposed to acquire 100 percent of the company's outstanding shares for $2.75 per share. Books-A-Million’s board of directors has appointed a special committee of independent directors to consider the proposal. The special committee has retained King & Spalding LLP as its legal counsel, and is in the process of retaining financial advisers.

Mobile and omnichannel are the top priorities for retailers this year, according to the 2015 Shop.org/Forrester Research Inc. State of Retailing Online report.

About 58% of the retailers by surveyed Shop.org and Forrester Research Inc. place mobile at the top of their list, up from 53% last year. 

Food retailers adjusting to the new realities of a changing regulatory landscape have gained a new ally at the Grocery Manufacturers Association.

The trade group has named Jennifer Cleveland McEntire as vice president of science operations.

Forever 21 has joined the crowded fast fashion scene on New York City’s Fifth Avenue by opening a new 36,000 square foot flagship store.

The store is spread out over four floors and will carry Forever 21 Men, Forever 21+, F21 Contemporary, basics, denim and shoes.

The new flagship takes over the site of a former H&M store, which closed in December a few months after the opening of its own new flagship on 48th Street.

A perfect storm is brewing for risqué product sales with Valentine’s day falling on a Saturday and coinciding with the release of the erotic film Fifty Shades of Grey.

Just as retailers such as Toys “R” Us, Kohl’s and Target offer extended hours ahead of Christmas, the 13-unit Hustler Hollywood chain is viewing this weekend’s confluence of events as a major sales opportunity.

Gap Inc. is raising its profit guidance based on its fourth-quarter sales and reduced taxes.

The retailer says it expects to report a profit of $2.86 to $2.87 per share for the year, up from its previous estimate of $2.73 to $2.78 per share. Analysts expected $2.74 per share on average.

The San Francisco company says its total fourth-quarter sales grew 3% to $4.71 billion compared with $4.58 billion for the fourth quarter last year.

Teen and tween retailer Aeropostale named a new COO and CFO and said its fourth quarter results, while still in negative territory, were not as bad as feared.