News

NEW YORK — Walmart is ditching plans to build three stores in Washington, D.C., after the city council passed a bill on late Wednesday setting a higher minimum wage for large retailers.

“This was a difficult decision for us — and unfortunate news for most D.C. residents — but the council has forced our hand,” said Wal-Mart spokesman Steven Restivo in a statement released after vote, which passed 8 to 5.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco has started the summer right, reporting sales of $9.92 billion for the month of June, the five-week period ended July 7, an 8% increase over the same period last year. 

For the 44-week period that ended Sunday, sales were $87.05 billion, also an 8% increase over the same period last year. For the month and the 44-week period, same-store sales rose 6%.

LOS ANGELES — Virtual Piggy has integrated its youth-friendly payment system with Claire’s Stores’ e-commerce website at www.claires.com.

Minneapolis  -- Target has announced the winner of the $75,000 grand prize in its Retail Accelerator contest: a mobile retail concept called “Divvy.” Jointly promoted by Target and Fast Company, the Retail Accelerator competition was designed to foster digital innovation in retail by challenging developers to build a new mobile experience for Target.

New York -- Office Depot and OfficeMax Inc. on Tuesday moved one step closer to becoming one company as their shareholders voted to approve the merger between the two office supply rivals.
 

NEW YORK — Macy’s is getting social, and that’s the place to be when reaching out to potential shoppers who are getting ready to go back to school. 

Dallas – Alliance Data Systems Corporation will provide private label credit card services for the US brands of Zale’s and acquire the existing card portfolio at a future date. In addition to providing private label credit card services for each Zale brand in the U.S., Alliance Data will provide turnkey credit marketing services to all Zale brands, including omni-channel and mobile services and technologies.

BOISE, Idaho — The Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates, the largest cooperative of independent food wholesalers, is showing its support for product safety by endorsing the use of best-in-class recall process management technology from Recall InfoLink. 

The Recall InfoLink solution has been successfully deployed at ROFDA members Affiliated Foods of Amarillo, Associated Grocers-Baton Rouge, Olean Wholesale Grocers and Associated Grocers of the South. Other members are expected to implement the system later this year.