News

SEATTLE — Bartell Drugs has unveiled its latest store concept, the chain said Friday.

Bartell's, the country's oldest drug chain, announced the opening of what the company called its "next generation" store format, a remodel of an existing store in Seattle's Roosevelt neighborhood. The company developed the new concept in conjunction with Hartmann Group, a consumer consulting firm based in Bellevue, Wash.

Toano, Va. -- Flooring retailer Lumber Liquidators said Friday it will acquire certain assets of Sequoia Floorings in order to strengthen its mill-direct relationships and shore up its long-term sourcing strategies.

Sequoia, a trading company, had provided product quality and development services on approximately 40% of Lumber Liquidators’ 2010 merchandise purchases, primarily those in Asia.

Reduced fees for debit card transactions go into effect on Monday and the architect of the authorizing legislation, Senator Dick Durbin from Illinois, was feeling a lot of love from a retail industry that's convinced ample justification remains for even deeper fee reductions.

T-Mobile is rolling out a new design to nearly 400 stores across the country. The new format, which the company adopted from parent company Deutsche Telekom AG, has a streamlined, ultra-modern look, and includes a variety of service options, from standing counters on the sales floor for quick transactions to more private individual service desks where customers can meet with sales associates.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Friday by the Commerce Dept. showed that consumer spending in the U.S. slowed in August, impacted by falling incomes and sporadic hiring.

Commerce Dept. figures showed that purchases edged up 0.2% after a 0.7% increase in July. However, a 0.2% increase in prices wiped out the slight spending gain. Incomes dipped 0.1%, the first decline since October 2009.

New York City -- A Thursday Reuters report said that Liz Claiborne has won the dismissal of a shareholder lawsuit that accused the company of misrepresenting its relationships with Macy's and J.C. Penney.

U.S. District Judge Richard Holwell said Thursday that the investors failed to show that Liz Claiborne intended to mislead them about the relationships.

The class period ran from Jan. 16 to April 30, 2007, the day before Liz Claiborne reported much lower-than-expected profit and sales at department store chains.
 

WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — BJ's Wholesale Club officially is owned by Leonard Green & Partners and CVC Capital Partners, just a few weeks after the retailer's stockholders approved the agreement.

BJ's was required in an all-cash transaction valued at $51.25 per share, or $2.8 billion.

BJ’s common stock will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange prior to the opening of business on Monday, Oct. 3, the companies said.

The deal was announced in late June after months of speculation. BJ’s board of directors unanimously approved the agreement.

QUINCY, Mass. — Stop & Shop is opening the doors of its third store in Cranston, R.I., this weekend, the supermarket chain announced Friday.

"We value the relationship we have with our Cranston area customers and community partners and are pleased to open another store to help further serve the community," Stop & Shop New England division president Mark McGowan said.

The new store, which will pursue LEED certification in the coming months, was built with a range of energy-efficient features including: