News

Plainfield, Ind. -- Walmart had added to its online fulfillment capabilities.

New York -- Target Corp. is making headlines with its bold, digitally savvy 20-page insert in Vogue. The retailer’s chief creative officer, Todd Waterbury, discussed the new campaign in a Q&A on Target’s Bullseye blog. Here are some excerpts:

What was the inspiration for this idea?

Nike has made over its Seattle flagship with a more contemporary look and technology that help customers select running shoes that are the perfect match for their feet and gait.

The store features such unique design elements as a custom neon sculpture celebrating sport icons and the city's cultural symbols. An art installation signed by Seattle Seahawks players honors Seattle's sports fans.

Retailers rely on a combination of dividend payments and share repurchase programs to return cash to stockholders, but the latter method is coming under scrutiny as Democrats look to leverage the populist theme of income inequality during the 2016 presidential campaign.

JCPenney 's renewed focus on omnichannel seems to be improving profitability for the retailer, which reported sales and revenue increases in the second quarter.

The company posted a net loss of $138 million, or 45 cents a share, in the quarter that ended Aug. 1, compared with a loss of $172 million, or 56 cents a share, a year ago. Total sales increased 2.7 percent from $2.80 billion a year ago to $2.89 billion. Same-store sales were up 4.1% and better than results also reported this week from Macy’s, Kohl’s and Dillard’s.

Corte Madera, Calif. -- Teens with a hankering for pricey furniture and décor — and affluent parents — will now have a new place to shop.

RH (Restoration Hardware) is launching RH Teen, which will offer “tasteful, high quality” furniture, lighting, linens and décor for teens. Launching in late September, RH Teen will have a own dedicated 200-page catalog (or, in RH lingo, “source book”), website and dedicated retail space in the company’s next generation of stores.

Another high level defection from Target's merchandising ranks suggests CEO Brian Cornell's strategic vision for the retailer is not universally shared.

Jose Barra, executive vice president in charge of merchandising at Target, is departing the Minnesota-based retailer for a new position, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Westlake, Ohio -- TravelCenters of America has completed its previously disclosed acquisition of 33 convenience store locations in northern Illinois.

The company expects the stores, which average approximately 3,400 sq. ft., will be rebranded as Minit Mart convenience stores and the sites will undergo improvements in the coming months.

TravelCenters of America operates some 370 convenience stores under the Minit Mart, TA and Petro Stopping Centers brands.