News

A new dimension in Sam's Club aisles
Sam's Club is looking to expose more of its shoppers to 3D printing technology by expanding its partnership with MakerBot.

The retailer announced it has expanded its availability of MakerBot Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printers to all 651 Sam’s Club locations nationwide. Select clubs will also feature a new in-club display that prominently showcases a physical MakerBot Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printer, so customers can learn about the technology first hand.
Ex-Staples exec joins the 3DLT board
3D printing solutions provider 3DLT has added the former head of global merchandising for Staples to its board of directors.

Books-A-Million plans big Harper Lee promotions

Books-A-Million is getting ready for the much-anticipated release of “Go Set a Watchman” from Harper Lee with an exclusive promotion.
Peapod makes smart shopping app even smarter

As grocery shoppers’ lives keep getting busier, Ahold’s online grocery delivery service Peapod keeps trying to make shopping easier.
Sally Beauty takes a turn on the runway

Sally Beauty is embarking on a broad initiative to update and evolve its brand by teaming up Lifetime's Emmy-nominated show, Project Runway.
Saks Fifth Avenue has an A-list ambassador

Saks Fifth Avenue is teaming up with Stand Up To Cancer to bring awareness to cancer research and attract shoppers will to support it.

The retailer has enlisted the help of Julianne Moore to increase cancer awareness and build broad public support for the effort to combat all types of cancers.
Whole Foods, PBS team up on back-to-school collection

Whole Foods Market is partnering with PBS to offer an exclusive new line of back-to-school products.
Walmart moves on U.S. manufacturing pledge

Walmart is joining forces with a new supplier database provider to support the retailer’s manufacturing initiative, which aims to find U.S. suppliers to manufacture products.

The move is part of Walmart's commitment to invest $250 billion in products that will support and create American jobs by 2023. Based on data from Boston Consulting Group, it is estimated that one million new U.S. jobs will be created through this initiative.
Walmart does things differently, see how

It was a busy few days in Bentonville earlier this week when Walmart held its “Made In USA” Open Call event combined with a U.S. Manufacturing Summit.
Is The Container Store back on track? Posts smaller than expected loss

New York -- The Container Store may have exceeded the expectations it set for itself in the first quarter, but its results were decidedly mixed.

The company lost $5.2 million, or 11 cents a share in the first quarter, compared to a loss of $3.6 million, or seven cents a share, the prior year. The retailer had forecast a loss between 12 cents and 14 cents and analysts pegged the number at 13 cents.

Total sales declined 2.1% to $169.8 million in part because of a $5.2 million foreign exchange headwind.
Facebook building massive center

New York -- Construction has just started on Facebook’s new data center, but the massive facility already has its own Facebook page.

The world’s largest social network announced that construction has started on its fifth data center, which will be powered by wind. The new center is located in Fort Worth, Texas, and joins Facebook’s four existing data hubs in Oregon, Iowa, North Carolina, and Sweden.
It’s money that matters for back-to-school shoppers

Framingham, Mass. – There are a lot of things parents look for when doing back-to-school shopping, but as Randy Newman once sang, it’s money that matters.

A new online survey of parents of children ages 8-18, commissioned by Staples and conducted by Harris Poll, finds that price is the top consideration for 86% of these parents when buying school supplies.

Highlights of Staples 2015’ Back-to-School Parents Survey include: