News

Westlake Ace Hardware hits store milestone
Westlake Ace Hardware has officially hit the 100-store milestone with the acquisition of two new stores. The hardware store chain has finalized its acquisition of two Q.P. Ace Hardware stores in the Omaha area, bringing its total retail hardware location count in the U.S. to 100.
Shoptalk Europe attracts diverse lineup of speakers
The CEO of Hudson's Bay Company, the managing director of Harrods, and the president of Pinterest will be among the featured speakers at Shoptalk Europe. The event will take place on October 9-11, 2017, at The Bella Center in Copenhagen. It will feature more than 125 speakers, according to organizers, with 75% of the speakers being C-level executives, including 65 CEOs. More than 2,000 attendees are expected.

Walmart installing automated vending machines for online order pickup

Walmart continues to explore new ways to make it easier for customers to pick up goods purchased online. The discounter is expanding its deployment of a giant self-service kiosk, which it calls a Pickup Tower, that spits out online orders to users of Walmart's buy-online-pickup-in-store service. Walmart debuted the technology last fall, in a store in Bentonville, Ark., close its headquarters.
Specialty denim retailer files for Chapter 11

Premium denim brand True Religion Apparel Inc. has struck a deal to erase $350 million of its debt. The company announced Wednesday that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and signed a restructuring agreement with the majority of its lenders, including private equity owner TowerBrook Capital Partners. It listed assets and liabilities in the range of $100 million to $500 million.
Former Target merchandising exec joins specialty coffee retailer

A Target veteran has joined the leadership team of Caribou Coffee. John Butcher, who most recently served as senior VP merchandising: beauty and DermStore, has been tapped as president of Caribou Coffee. Butcher joined Target in 1997, working his way up through the ranks serving in various operations and merchandising roles, including serving as VP and general merchandise manager, electronics.
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Online giant plans to open robotics-based facility in South Florida

Amazon is once again bolstering its warehouse fleet in the Sunshine State. The online giant will open an 850,000-sq.-ft. facility staffed with robots and more than 1,000 workers in South Florida. The depot will reside in a vacant property that is currently being transformed into a 97-acre commercial center adjoining the county’s Opa-locka airport, according to The Miami Herald.
Happy Fourth!

The Chain Store Age offices will be closed July 4 in honor of Independence Day. Daybreaker will resume publishing July 5. Have a fun and safe holiday!
Regulatory Wrap-Up: Where state and national policy impact retail

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Amazon gains huge foothold in Middle East

Amazon has completed its acquisition of e-commerce company souq.com, a leader in the Middle East's online shopping market. The deal, which was initially announced in March, closed for $580 million in cash, according to filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.