News

Sears outlets change appliance strategy
Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores is rearranging its appliance retail strategy to better speak to customers and their changing priorities.
King of the cloud, Amazon offers unlimited everything
In its quest to offer its customers everything from one-hour delivery of toilet paper to instant TV streaming, Amazon now wants to dominate the market in cloud storage with a dirt cheap new plan.

For $5 a month, customers can sign up for Amazon Cloud Drive and store as much digital content as they want. With the unlimited plans, customers no longer need to worry about how much storage is needed to keep their content safe and secure: they can choose either the Unlimited Photos Plan or Unlimited Everything Plan and only pay one flat fee per year.

GameStop eyes growth strategy with emerging formats

GameStop’s strongest growth in 2015 will have little to do with gaming as the company plans to open between 350 to 550 stores in technology brands segment while paring its GameStop store presence.

The company’s technology brands segment is comprised of 361 ATT&T brand stores, 63 Cricket branded stores that offer wireless products and services and 60 Simply Mac Stores. Meanwhile, the company has indicated it will close 3%, or nearly 200 of its approximately 6,000 traditional video game stores.
He really did go to Jared

The parent company of Kay, Zale and Jared brand jewelry stores had a phenomenal holiday season with profits up more than 40% on solid same store sales growth.
Study: Consumers want easy access to product, service information

Washington, D.C. -- An overwhelming majority (70%) of consumers around the globe say that the best way retailers can add value to their shopping experience is to provide easy access to information about their products and services, both online and in stores. That’s one of the key takeaways of a new consumer research study by Oracle.
Fred's names former Walgreens exec as head merchant

Putting aside a worse than expected fourth quarter loss, regional discounter Fred’s could be on the cusp of more meaningful growth after assembling a roster of top executive talent under the leadership of CEO Jerry Shore and president Mike Bloom.
P&G campaign focuses on Latina shoppers

Proctor & Gamble is trying to increase Latina interest in its products with a new “Living Fabulosa” (living fabulously) initiative.

It is part pf the company’s Orgullosa campaign, which highlights the unique and complex experience of the modern, bicultural Latina -- the Nueva Latina.
Capgemini report finds loyalty programs lacking in a digital age

New York -- U.S. companies spend $2 billion on loyalty programs, but the investment isn’t yielding the type of increased engagement which drove implementation of the programs, according to a new report from Capgemini Consulting. For example, the firm found that the average U.S. household is a member of 21 loyalty programs, but only actively uses 44% of them.
Walmart’s Foran and McKenna to offer views in NY

In a break from tradition, Walmart is hosting an investor meeting in New York on April 1 with the new team of top executives who are driving the latest round of changes at the retailer’s U.S. business.

A 90 minutes session scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EST on April 1 at the New York Stock Exchange will be hosted by Walmart U.S. President and CEO Greg Foran.
C.H. Robinson named a Walmart logistics leader

Walmart recognized multimodal logistics provider C.H. Robinson with the retailer’s first-ever award for third party logistics providers.

C.H. Robinson said it received the Third Party Logistical (3PL) Carrier of the Year award for 2014 due to contributions for outstanding service, effective communication and providing solutions and innovations in a changing industry.