News

Toys"R"Us, Kohl's look to fill more than 100,000 holiday jobs
Kohl’s and Toys"R"Us are among the first retailers to announce their holiday hiring plans this year, and the numbers are more or less the same as last year for both companies.

Toys”R”Us plans to hire 40,000 employees at its stores and distribution centers throughout the country (about 5,000 less than last year). The retailer also plans to allow seasonal workers the opportunity to take on significantly more hours than in previous years, while also continuing to provide extra hours to current employees.
Lower gas prices not helping retailers
Lower gas prices are not significantly altering consumer behavior, according to the latest Consumer Fuels Survey results released by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).

Although drivers report that the national median gas price fell 25 cents per gallon in the past month and 60 cents per gallon since July, only 22% of consumers say that they will drive more over the coming month and only 15% say that they will spend more on other non-fuels items in the coming month.

Here's the 4 ways retailers build customer loyalty

There are four key elements that sustain a customer’s loyalty over the long term (and price is not one of them), according to the newest research from Synchrony Financial.

According to Synchrony Financial’s 2015 Customer Experience and Impact Study, which examines 27 elements of the shopping experience, four experiences stand out as most valued by customers and translate into greater spend and loyalty for retailers.
Amazon gives L.A. Prime Now gift

Just in time for the holidays, Amazon.com has extended its addictive Prime Now service to Southern California by establishing four distribution hubs.
Target picks L.A. as innovation hub

Twenty-five Los Angeles-area Target stores will be the crucible of innovating its shopping experience, the company announced Wednesday on its blog, A Bullseye View.
Shoppers who work on their fitness get rewards at Sports Authority

The Sports Authority is teaming up with Under Armour and MapMyFitness on a ground-breaking new fitness rewards program.

The retailer says rewards members soon will be able to earn retail rewards for completing activities within the MapMyFitness app.
The Container Store designs an innovative contest for students

The Container Store is teaming up with the Rhode Island School of Design on a creative contest that invites design students to re-think the organized home.

The goal is to give design students a platform to present their product ideas to The Container Store and the chance to see their ideas produced. The product submissions need to appeal to The Container Store’s consumer.
Wal-Mart targets expanded grocery pickup

Bentonville, Ark. – On the same day Target launched a pilot of the Instacart online grocery delivery service, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced it will expand its existing grocery pickup service.
Target faces class action suit

It’s official – Target Corp. will face a class action lawsuit related to its November 2013 data breach.

A federal judge in Minnesota has granted class action status to a suit brought by five financial institutions – Umpqua Bank, Mutual Bank, Village Bank, CSE Federal Credit Union and First Federal Savings of Lorain.
Walgreens provides on-demand delivery service through Postmates

Walgreens and its Duane Reade subsidiary on Tuesday inked a deal with Postmates that will provide urbanites across 30 markets on-demand delivery service fulfilling all their health, beauty and wellness needs, Postmates announced.

This marks a same-day delivery first for a cutting-edge retailer like Walgreens, though Postmates has been delivering goods from the likes of Starbucks, Chipotle, McDonald’s, Apple, Etsy and 7-Eleven for some time now. Customers utilizing the service will be charged a flat introductory delivery fee of $4.99 for a limited time.
RILA releases report to help retailers compare, identify energy saving initiatives

The Retail Industry Leaders Association introduced its second Retail Energy Management Report, a resource for companies to compare energy management programs across the industry and identify opportunities for progress.

The report was released prior to the opening of RILA’s 2015 Retail Sustainability Conference, now in its eighth year.
Multimedia: Rebecca Minkoff, Los Angeles; Starbucks, Panama City, Panama

On-trend apparel brand Rebecca Minkoff has opened a 4,600-sq.-ft. tech-savvy flagship — its largest space to date — on Melrose Avenue.

Starbucks Coffee Company's first store in Panama is located in Panama City, in the Street Mall shopping center.

Click here to see slideshows of Rebecca Minkoff's "store of the future" concept in Los Angeles and Starbucks' new Panama City location.