News

Survey: Shoppers still love stores
New York - While the digital age has encouraged more consumers to shop and browse products on the Web, physical stores are still primary destinations for shoppers, according to an annual survey by PwC's.
West Coast ports temporarily halt some operations Feb. 7-8
San Francisco – Port management temporarily halted vessel loading and unloading operations at West Coast ports the weekend of Feb. 7-8. In a statement, the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), representing port management, said it did not want to offer port workers premium pay for diminished productivity in light of continued work slowdowns caused by disagreements with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) over issues such as pay, pensions and contract arbitration.

Alibaba enters Chinese smartphone market with Meizu investment

Hangzhou, China – Alibaba Holding Group Inc. is bolstering its mobile commerce position by purchasing a $590 million minority stake in Chinese smartphone manufacturer Meizu. As a result of the investment, Alibaba and Meizu will collaborate to integrate Meizu’s hardware and Alibaba’s mobile operating system.
Dollar Tree arranges financing for Family Dollar purchase

Chesapeake, Va. - Dollar Tree Inc. is arranging financing for its pending acquisition of Family Dollar Stores Inc. To that end, Dollar Tree has priced a private offering of $$2.5 billion of senior notes due 2023 and $750 million of senior notes due 2020. The 2023 notes will bear an annual interest rate of 5.75% and the 2020 notes will bear an annual interest rate of 5.25%.

Dollar Tree has also arranged for a $1 billion term loan with interest of LIBOR plus 2.25% and a $3.95 billion term loan with interest of LIBOR (subject to a 0.75% floor) plus 3.5%.
PetSmart same-store sales rise 2.6%

Phoenix – Same-store sales rose 2.6% at PetSmart Inc. during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. Average ticket increased 2%, and same-store transactions increased 0.6%.
Tech Bytes: Three Lessons from the Plug and Play Retail CMO Summit

Chain Store Age’s exclusive media partnership with Silicon Valley accelerator Plug and Play Tech Center offers many benefits. Among them is the chance to escape to the warmth and sunshine of northern California from one of the snowiest winters in the history of New England.
Mobile is top retailer priority in 2015, according to Shop.org/Forrester

Washington, D.C. -- Mobile is the top priority for retailers in 2015, according to the 2015 Shop.org/Forrester Research Inc., State of Retailing Online, with 58% of surveyed retailers placing it at the top of their list, up from 53% last year.

The survey found smartphone sales as a percentage of online sales grew from 8% in 2013 to 12% in 2014, an increase of 50%. Tablets’ share of the pie also grew from 13% of online sales in 2013 to 16% in 2014.
Wegmans, Amazon.com top corporate reputation list

Wegmans Food Markets, Costco, Publix and CVS are among the highest ranked companies in terms of corporate reputation, according to a new poll.

The 16th annual Harris Poll Reputation Quotient study ranked the reputations of the 100 most visible companies. Scores range from excellent (scores of 80+) to poor (scores of 50 to 64).
What the RadioShack bankruptcy really means

Every time a retailer files for bankruptcy I am reminded of a harshly appropriate comment Jay Leno made in a monologue years ago after an icon of American retailing succumbed to market forces.

Montgomery Ward (remember them?), a company with an illustrious history that had a tremendous influence on the evolution of the retail industry, filed for bankruptcy in 1997 and was later liquidated.
Shopko targets omnichannel shoppers

As online gift registries become more popular with shoppers, Shopko is giving its gift registry service an omnichannel makeover.

Shopko has joined forces with MyRegistry.com to offer Shopko customers access to MyRegistry.com’s software platform and services. The partnership enables Shopko shoppers to create and manage personal gift registries using the myregistry.com platform and technology, including an in-store mobile scanning app.
Petco wants shoppers to keep Fido well-fed

Petco is leveraging the power of its multichannel capabilities to educate its shoppers about pet nutrition.

The retailer is launching an initiative focused on the importance of proper nutrition for pets.
Books-A-Million gets another take-private bid

Facing significant headwinds in its core business of bookselling, Books-A-Million has received a take-private proposal by the family who hold a majority of the company's shares.

The Anderson family has proposed to acquire 100 percent of the company's outstanding shares for $2.75 per share. Books-A-Million’s board of directors has appointed a special committee of independent directors to consider the proposal. The special committee has retained King & Spalding LLP as its legal counsel, and is in the process of retaining financial advisers.