News

Jelly Belly Candy Co. is prepping for Halloween 2014 with a mix of sinister and sweet  thanks to the company's new Disney Vile Villains themed bags.

Four Disney villains — Ursula, Captain Hook, the Evil Queen and Maleficent — will adorn the bags. Each bag is filled with a "Vile Villains" mix, which consists of Jewel Very Cherry, Jewel Sour Apple, Jewel Orange, Jewel Blueberry and new Jewel Grape Soda.

Camp Hill, Pa. -- Rite Aid’s same-store sales rose 3.5% in May, boosted by a healthy increase in Rx sales.

The chain’s front-end same store sales increased 0.5%. Pharmacy same-store sales increased 5.0%. Total drugstore sales for the five-week period increased 2.5% to $2.48 billion, compared with $2.42 billion for the same period last year.

Prescription sales accounted for 68.0% of drug store sales, and third party prescription sales represented 97.4% of pharmacy sales.

Persistent winter weather took a bite out of Stein Mart’s net income in the first quarter, but the retailer rallied once the weather improved. It closed the quarter with total and comparable-store sales increases, and the upward trend has continued through May.

The company reported total sales for the four-week period ended May 31 of $109.6 million, a 2.2% increase over total sales of $107.3 million for the four-week period ended June 1 last year. Comparable store sales for the month increased 0.4% from comparable store sales for the same month last year.

From the 156-year-old Macy’s to the online startup Zady, Fast Company’s annual ranking of “The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Retail” shows how diverse the retail landscape had become — and the changing nature of retail innovation.

Here’s a quick recap (I’ve added some comments following Fast Company’s qualifiers):

1. WARBY PARKER: For being the Warby Parker of Warby Parkers.

No company hired more veterans last year than Walmart, but that distinction was only enough to earn the company the 23rd spot on Military Times annual ranking of the best companies for veterans.
 

Home furnishings retailer West Elm has rolled out a wedding and gift registry enables consumers to register in stores, online or via smartphone app.

The registry includes exclusive offers from West Elm partners Riley & Grey and Minted as well as shopping guides, registry tips and home decorating advice from bloggers and industry experts, including Bash Please, Brooklyn Bride, Snippet & Ink and Style Me Pretty.

Although comparable-store sales at Fred’s declined slightly in May, the company said sales strengthened in the last week of the month thanks to the first ad in its new marketing and branding program, designed to increase traffic and heighten customer awareness of category diversity.

The company’s total sales for the month stayed flat at $151.9 million, compared with $152.3 million in May last year. Comparable-store sales for the month declined 0.4% compared with a 0.5% decrease in the same period last year.

By Eric Larson, Chief Revenue Officer, HelloWorld

The retail industry has experienced a massive shift in recent years, with mobile and social technology bringing both change and opportunity in how consumers research, browse and buy. With today’s new level of price transparency, and the competition always just a tap away, retailers are feeling the pressure.