News

Bentonville, Ark. – The Sam’s Club Giving Program is providing a $2.5 million grant to grow U.S. women-owned businesses and jumpstart job creation. Awarded to three non-profit organizations, the grant creates the WE Lend Initiative, a two-year investment in strengthening SBA-recognized Women’s Business Centers (WBCs).

After receiving more than 16,000 entries online and via Facebook, Staples has opened its “Make Your Idea Happen,” contest to the public to determine the $25,000 grand prize winner.

New York -- Liberty Media Corp. has entered into agreements to reduce its stake in Barnes & Noble. Liberty Media informed Barnes & Noble that while Liberty has sold the majority of its shares to qualified institutional buyers, it will retain approximately 10% of its initial $204 million investment, which could be converted to a 17% ownership stake.

The field of retail asset protection — like other aspects of the industry — is undergoing significant change as a host of complex new challenges related to data security and rapidly advancing technology join longstanding challenges related to workplace safety and shrink. 

Washington, D.C. -- Despite a slight decrease in corporate payments fraud and a heightened interest in security risks, 2013 saw an increase in fraud specific to credit and debit cards as criminals and their schemes became more sophisticated, according to the 2014 AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey released by the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP).

By Shelley E. Kohan, VP, retail consulting, RetailNext; instructor, Fashion Institute of Technology

Consumer confidence is 10 points higher than this time last year. Spring weather forecasts show April will be warmer than average for many areas. So, how can retailers optimize sales during this season? Learning from last year’s data and trends is a great place to start.

Sam’s Club and the Gallup organization have launched a new quarterly tracking poll that focuses on the smallest of small business.

The poll is designed to look at what Sam’s is calling “microbusiness,” companies with five or fewer employees, that represent a core customer of Sam’s Club and are estimated to total 25 million.

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples is letting the public help determine the top three winners of its “Make Your Idea Happen” contest, which allowed entrepreneurs to share their ideas for a chance to receive all the products they need to bring their business to life. The retailer received more than 16,000 entries online and via Facebook.

The contest was announced in early January, and entrants were asked to submit a 100 word or less overview of their idea. Staples narrowed the submissions down to 10 finalists.