News

Brussels, Belgium – Belgian grocery retailer Delhaize Group and Dutch grocery retailer Ahold N.V. have confirmed they are engaged in preliminary discussions about a possible merger that could create one of the largest supermarket operators in the U.S. But the two companies said the talks may not result in any deal.

Whole Foods Market is embarking on a project to teach its environmentally-minded customers that not all recycling is created equal.

The retailer announced a new partnership with Recycling Across America that aims to help reduce global waste and close the loop with the reuse of recycled materials in manufacturing.

San Francisco – Gap Inc. reported disappointing sales for April and the first quarter, hurt by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange and sliding sales at its namesake and Banana Republic divisions. Also, earlier timing of the Easter holiday, as compared to 2014, benefited the company’s March sales results and negatively impacted its April sales results.

Total same-store sales fell 12% in April, worse than predicted. Sales at Old Navy declined 6%, while sales at Banana Republic plunged 15%. Same-store sales for Gap fell 15%.

Babies"R"Us is showing some love to expectant mothers by hosting baby showers for military moms-to-be for the third year in a row.

Babies"R"Us has provided more than $500,000 to the Operation Shower organization through grant funding and in-kind donations for the past three years of the partnership.Operation Shower is an organization that hosts baby showers for military moms-to-be as they experience the journey of pregnancy while their spouses are deployed.

Toronto -- Canadians are not flocking over the border as much as last year, according to a recent cross-border shopping survey by marketing research firm GfK. Deterred by higher US exchange rates, Canadians are less willing to make the drive, despite the wider product selections available stateside.

H&M is looking to tap into some of the exploding growth in the beauty industry by launching its first beauty collection.

The retailer will launch the products this fall, with an assortment of makeup as well as hair care, body care and beauty tools. The company says the range, with an ever-evolving makeup selection, will focus on seasonal looks, ideas and colors. The products will be available in over 900 stores worldwide and online at hm.com.

San Jose, Calif. – The shift of the Easter shopping season to March 2015 from April 2014 (Easter fell on April 5, 2015, the first day of fiscal April) had a substantial negative impact on year-over-year retail sales results. According to the RetailNext Retail Performance Pulse, sales dropped 12.5% compared to the same month a year earlier, while sales per shopper (SPS) actually increased 2.4%.

As retailers increasingly use gamification to drive customer engagement and growth, GameStop is taking the concept to new heights with its latest promotion.

The retailer is teaming up with Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment and Google Maps to turn city streets into monster tracking courses ahead of the May 19 launch of Warner Brothers and CD PROJEKT RED’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.