News

Study: Retailers triple same-day delivery offerings
Eager to get merchandise into shoppers’ hands the same day they place an order, 65% of retailers will offer same-day delivery within two years. This was according to the “2017 Digital Commerce Benchmark Survey,” from Boston Retail Partners (BRP).
Love's Travel Stops to acquire competitor
Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is expanding its footprint. The chain has reached an agreement to purchase Speedco, a national network of trucking-focused service locations from Bridgestone Americas. Speedco has 52 locations. The acquisition will bring the number of Love’s operated tire service and lube facilities to 323. Terms of the deal, subject to regulatory approval, were not disclosed.

Report: Home goods retailer to accept digital wallet, Venmo

A new payment option will help Williams-Sonoma tap a new customer segment. The home goods retailer will soon accept the peer-to-peer money-transferring service Venmo for bridal registry purchases. The digital wallet lets users make digital payments — or split payments with other users, according to ReCode.
Online giant expands fulfillment operations in two states

Amazon continues to bolster its distribution fleet. The online giant will be adding a new 1 million-sq.-ft. fulfillment center in Monroe, Ohio — its fourth warehouse in The Buckeye State. Amazon will hire 1,000 associates to manage the picking, packing and shipping larger customer items, such as sports equipment, gardening tools, and pet food. Amazon already operates fulfillment centers in the cities of Etna and Obetz, and is preparing for the opening of a new facility in North Randall.
Regulatory Wrap-Up: Online sales tax collection back in spotlight

Wages
Bloomberg: Walgreens revising Rite Aid deal to gain FTC signoff

Walgreens Boots Alliance is reportedly tweaking its previously announced deal with Rite Aid Corp.
Report: Online giant brings one-hour deliveries to London’s Fashion Week

Amazon is putting Fashion Week couture items into Londoners’ hands within an hour. Amazon is partnering with designer Nicola Formichetti to offer one-hour delivery to London-based Prime customers. Available items were originally featured on the catwalk during a London Fashion Week fashion show on Saturday night, according to Reuters.
Toys ‘R’ Us reportedly close to filing Chapter 11; Fitch downgrades toy retailer

It's looking increasingly likely that Toys "R" Us may turn to Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as a way to deal with its massive debt load. With about $400 million of its $5 billion debt coming due in 2018, the struggling toy retailer could file for bankruptcy as soon as this week, CNBC reported. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/18/toys-r-us-could-file-for-bankruptcy-as-soon-as-this-week-sources-say.html
Aerosoles files Chapter 11; to focus online, wholesale

Women's footwear brand Aerosoles has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it looks to shutter nearly all of its U.S. stores. The company has about 80 stores in the United States, and also sells its shoes through other retailers. It has begun store closing sales and is seeking approval from the Bankruptcy Court to proceed with the sales. Aerosoles said it plans to maintain four flagships, in New York and New Jersey, and will also enhance its e-commerce, wholesale and international businesses.
Department store giant scales back holiday hiring

Fewer stores translates into reduced holiday hiring for Macy's this year. Macy's plans to hire a total of 80,000 workers for the holiday rush, down from about 83,000 last year. The company has been closing underperforming stores and currently operates some 70 fewer stores than it did last year.
Study: Consumers did half of their online spending on marketplaces in 2016

Marketplaces are taking an increasing share of business-to-consumer (B2C) online retail sales. Last year, shoppers did half of their online spending through marketplaces — a level that could rise to 66% by 2022, according to “Half of B2C Online Retail Spend Came from Marketplaces in 2016,” a report from Forrester.
Summer sales slump

Consumers were cautious in their spending during the summer months. Retail sales in August decreased by 0.2% from July on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the National Retail Federation. (The NRF numbers exclude automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants. Also, the Commerce Department said data for July was revised to show sales increasing 0.3% instead of the previously reported 0.6% jump.