News

Provigo, a division of Canada’s Loblaw Cos., has opened the second location under its new Provigo Le Marché banner, a flagship in the Montreal suburb of Kirkland. The 82,000-sq.-ft. store combines the convenience and variety of a full-service supermarket with a food market-styled layout. It offers an expanded range of fresh products, and gives center stage to local and regional items.

NEW YORK — Tiffany & Co. saw sales growth and an improved operating margin for the second quarter ended July 31, fueled largely by its performance in China. 

The company’s total sales in the Americas region were lackluster, increasing 2% to $444 million in the second quarter. Comparable-store sales remained flat for the quarter.

L3 Capital invests in what it calls prime urban retail, which includes a lot of street retail in the premier cities. "We own retail properties in several neighborhoods in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago," said Greg Schott managing piincipal.

At the end of last year, L3 made its first investment in its hometown of Chicago. The company bought four retail buildings along a flourishing four-block retail stretch of Southport Avenue in the Lakewood neighborhood. The cost was $13 million for 17,000 sq. ft.

At a time of year when consumers are still caught up in end-of-summer barbecues and back-to-school shopping, retailers are getting caught up in the rush of holiday planning. Holiday sales can account for 20% to 40% of a retailer’s total annual sales, according to the National Retail Federation, and a successful holiday can turn around a bad year or make a good year even better.

But the holiday season presents challenges as well as opportunities.

LAS VEGAS — Online retailer 6pm.com has promoted Jay Alexander to the newly created position of senior style adviser. This role was created to reinforce the brand's growth through on-trend, in-season merchandise and respond to customers' requests for access to a style expert. 

In his new role, Alexander will leverage his designer relationships and knowledge of the latest runway and market trends to help customers score the best styles for their entire family — therein giving online consumers the in-store treatment.

New York -- Wal-Mart Stores will offer health insurance benefits to its U.S. workers' domestic partners, including those of the same sex, starting Jan. 1, 2014. Wal-Mart sent a postcard to its associates on Monday to tell them about the change. The chain also informed workers that it plans to begin offering vision care to its eligible employees and their dependents.

To provide customers with true omnichannel shopping capabilities, retailers must internally align all store and ERP functions. Mike Burge, founder and CEO of integrated retail enterprise platform provider MI9, recently spoke with Chain Store Age about how effective omnichannel retailing works and how retailers can leverage IT systems to achieve success in an omnichannel environment.

What are the main objectives of omnichannel?

SAN FRANCISCO — The Levi’s brand has made significant management changes to its leadership structure in an effort to drive innovative product and consumer engagement campaigns around the globe.