News

Department store offers more flexible, personalized loyalty program
Nordstrom Inc. is enhancing the rewards it offers customers via its loyalty program. The retailer partnered with Aimia Inc., a data-driven marketing and loyalty analytics company, to expand the Nordstrom Rewards loyalty program. The expanded program launched in Nordstrom stores in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, and on Nordstrom.com in May 2016. In the first three months, Nordstrom has enrolled approximately 1.7 million new members.
Retail sales stall in July
Consumers cooled their spending in July. Retail sales were flat in July, in line with a revised 0.8% gain in June, according to figures released Friday by the Commerce Department. The report ended three straight months of monthly gains. Sales in July rose 2.3% from a year ago. Excluding automobiles and parts sales, sales fell 0.3% in July — the weakest reading since January, after a 0.9% gain in the prior month.

Off-pricer announces further Canadian expansion

Nordstrom Rack has announced a fourth location as it makes preparations to drop anchor north of the border. Nordstrom announced that Nordstrom Rack will open a 35,000-sq.-ft. store at South Edmonton Common in Edmonton, Alberta, in fall 2018. The property is owned and managed by Cameron Corporation and CREIT.
Veteran marketer joins outdoor retailer

Gander Mountain announced that Ron Stoupa will join the company as senior VP - marketing & e-commerce starting on Monday, Aug. 15. Stoupa will lead all marketing and e-commerce functions, including brand development, customer engagement and omnichannel initiatives for Gander Mountain.
First Look: Target, Lincoln Park, Chicago

Target Corp. has brought its new flexible-format store model to Chicago’s Lincoln Park North. The 33,000-sq.-ft. store, which features Target’s first Freshii café, has been carefully curated for the neighborhood, and includes home items sized for condos and small space living and artwork that reflects the local culture and community. The creative force behind the bold art installations was hometown artist Cody Hudson and his team at Struggle Inc.
Robot welcomes shoppers at high-tech store in Palo Alto

A start-up consumer electronics retailer has deployed a friendly-looking, white plastic robot named Pepper to greet shoppers. In a two-week test, high-tech retailer B8ta is the first retail store in the United States to deploy the humanoid robot, which is from Japan’s SoftBank Robotics, Mercurynews.com reported.
Edens to make Buckhead center over with local retailers

Andrews Square in the Buckhead section of Atlanta is being infused with local flavor. Signed as the new anchor at the center in the affluent neighborhood’s West Village section is Lucy’s Market, a purveyor of organics, fresh produce, and prepared meals owned by West Village resident Kim Wilson. Center owner Edens is in the midst of a makeover of Andrews Square intended to make it blend with the local landscape and culture.
Drug store giant launches its own mobile payments solution

CVS Health on Thursday announced the launch of CVS Pay, its own end-to-end mobile payment solution. It is the pharmacy chain's first official mobile payments solution. CVS Pay – now part of the CVS Pharmacy mobile app – integrates payment, prescription pickup and the ExtraCare loyalty program all in one scan at checkout.
Wal-Mart in deal with Liverpool

Wal-Mart Stores’ Mexican unit is shedding its apparel store chain. Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB (Walmex) is selling its Suburbia chain to El Puerto de Liverpool SAB, one of the largest department store operators in Mexico, in a deal valued at 19 billion pesos ($1.03 billion), Bloomberg reported.
Experts Weigh In: Macy’s to close 100 stores

“I'm sad to see this news. Macy's is an iconic retailer with a long history of success, and one of many victims of Amazon success. In the same week that Jeff Bezos pockets roughly $800 million personal dollars, Macy's is forced to suffer a tremendous physical retail loss.