News

Walmart’s $3.3 billion purchase of e-commerce startup jet.com has spurred a shakeup across the retail giant’s digital operations.      Exiting the chain are Fernando Madeira, president and CEO of Walmart.com, and Dianne Mills, senior VP of global e-commerce human resources. (As previously announced, Neil Ashe, president and CEO of global e-commerce, is also leaving).   

The hits keep on coming for the embattled American Apparel Inc., which is reportedly on the brink of its second bankruptcy filing in less than two years.   

Most retailers today understand that the customer experience they offer is just as important to their success as the tried-and-true fundamentals of product selection and price competition. In order to enhance those customer experiences, keep shoppers coming in the door, and bring new efficiencies to their business practices, retailers have adopted a growing army of in-store technologies that rely on online connectivity to function.   

Office Depot saw its profit rise in the third quarter as cost-cuts and a $240 million tax benefit helped to offset the impact of lower revenue.   Profit in the quarter totaled $44 million, topping analysts’ forecasts. Sales fell 7% to $2.84 billion.  

For the eighth year running, Newegg is giving shoppers access to special Black Friday promotions during the entire month of November.   A program designed to make it more convenient to shop for the season¹s most sought-after products, Newegg’s promotional month will highlight specific sales that will last for a full week.  

Grocery-anchored center specialist Phillips Edison has announced the acquisition of two more centers, making it three for the week.   It purchased the 257,979-sq.-ft. Southern Palms in Tempe, Arizona, which is anchored by the fresh format grocer Sprouts and also houses Planet Fitness, Firehouse Subs, Sally Beauty, and West Marine Products.  

As the centerpiece of today’s omnichannel world, customers expect a seamless experience no matter when, where or how they chose to shop. However, this explosion of multiple shopper scenarios is a significant challenge for retail operations.   Brands not only depend upon a seamless integration between online and in-store point-of-sale (POS) systems, but also contend with a paradigm shift of selling merchandise from a database rather than a physical store.    

Singles' Day, a festival that started in China some 20 years ago to celebrate being single, is fast approaching. And the country’s e-commerce giant is pulling out all the stops this year.   

Online growth — and along with it, online market share — continues to accelerate.   The trajectory is so strong that sales are on pace to hit $440 billion in 2017, a leap from $395 billion expected in 2016, according to “U.S. Online Sales Forecast: Omni-Channel Retailing Challenged by Its Success,” a report from FTI Consulting.   

Raley’s will unveil a new natural foods grocery store concept in spring 2017.   Called Market 5-ONE-5, the new format will debut in downtown Sacramento, Calif., and is described as a farmer’s market concept, with fresh products delivered daily. It will be operated independently of Raley’s, according to The Sacramento Bee. A press release about the new store quoted Raley’s CEO Michael Teel, but identified him only as “owner.”