News

New York -- One of the nation’s most venerable children’s footwear brands has entered into a deal with Target. The brand is also updating its own in-store experience as it looks to align itself more directly with contemporary shoppers.

Stride Rite is launching Surprize by Stride Rite, an exclusive line of tyke-sized tennis shoes in Target, designed in partnership with Stride Rite.

New York -- Ollie’s Bargain Outlet raised $143 million in a wildly successful initial public stock offering that positions the company for steady expansion of its 181 unit store base beyond core markets.

Ollie’s co-founder and CEO Mark Butler told Retailing Today that although the company has identified 950 suitable store locations, proceeds from the IPO will be used to repay debt and the company will maintain a measured pace of expansion.

Hayward, Calif. -- Posiflex is releasing a new mobile POS tablet, the MT4008. The MT4008 tablet is a fully modular hybrid system designed to provide mobile flexibility with stationary POS functionality.

The MT4008 system comprises an 8" tablet, optional 2D scanner with a pistol grip and extended-life battery, and printer docking station.

New York – Dan Berthiaume, senior editor of Chain Store Age, recently participated in a one-hour panel discussion, “Today’s Retail CMO – A New Outlook,” sponsored by SAP as part of its “Coffee Break with Game-Changers” Internet radio series. The discussion, broadcast live on the VoiceAmerica Internet media service, focused on how advances in cloud and digital technology are transforming the role of the chief marketing officer in retail.

San Jose, Calif. – While the social buzz regarding Amazon Prime Day on Wednesday, July 15, has been not so prime, early reports indicate the event was a success sales-wise. And industry experts said the event was important in other ways too.

San Jose, Calif. – While Amazon.com may be happy about its exact sales performance during its July 15 Amazon Prime Day sales event, social media response probably did not meet Amazon’s expectations.

Montvale, N.J. – A supermarket chain that was founded two years before the Civil War began may be going the way of the Confederate flag.

According to the New York Post, The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P) may file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as soon as this week.

Washington, D.C. - The National Retail Federation (NRF) and more than 100 other business groups are formally calling for passage of legislation that would require the Transportation Department to track port statistics.

In a letter addressed to John Thune (R-S.C.), chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the NRF and its allies said this would help prevent a repeat of the congestion and slowdowns that occurred along the West Coast during the labor dispute resolved earlier this year.

Atlanta - Porsche Cars North America Inc. hopes to drive consumers to drink – and eat – at its new $100 million Porsche Experience Center and headquarters. Porsche has officially opened its new fine dining "Restaurant 356" on the second level of the Porsche Experience Center, overlooking the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Hartland, Wis. – Batteries Plus Bulbs, a 650-store chain specializing in batteries, lightbulbs and personal electronics repair, has a fairly traditional offering of products and services. But that doesn’t stop the retailer from delivering a modern omnichannel customer experience.

“We’re a needs-based business,” said Jayson Serrault VP of omnichannel marketing and analytics, Batteries Plus Bulbs. “Customers come to us with a specific need that has some sense of urgency and immediacy.”