News

Lowe’s Canada names retail vet to oversee supply chain
Toronto -- Lowe's Canada announced the appointment of Gregor Stuart to the new position of VP, supply chain, effective July 27.

Gregor joins Lowe's Canada with over 25 years of supply chain and logistics experience in the retail industry. He has held various senior roles with prominent Canadian retailers including Loblaw Companies Limited, The Bargain! Shop, Hudson's Bay Company, Canadian Tire Corporation LTD and National Grocers Co.
Nordstrom doubles down on J. Crew brand
Nordstrom and J. Crew Group are expanding a merchandising partnership.

Back to School: Trends to Watch

The calendar may only say July, but retailers are already promoting back-to-school.

Here are four promotional trends the folks at Market Track predict will play out this selling season:

• Retailers/e-retailers creating new mid-year “Black Friday” type events concurrent with Back to School. (e.g., Amazon's Prime Day, Target’s Black Friday in July, etc.)
New Dr. Seuss on the loose at Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble's Get Pop-Cultured campaign is getting a dose of medicine from Dr. Seuss ths month.
Guess what’s coming to Best Buy

Minneapolis – Consumers who want to purchase an Apple Watch will have a new option as of Friday, Aug. 7.

On that date, Best Buy will become the first national retailer, other than Apple Stores, where customers can buy the Apple Watch.

It will begin to arrive in more than 100 Best Buy stores and will also be available on BestBuy.com. Another 200 Best Buy stores will have the Apple Watch in time for holiday shopping.
Office Depot thanks teachers seamlessly

Boca Raton, Fla. – Office Depot Inc. is thanking teachers with an omnichannel back-to-school program.

The “Gear Up for School” promotion offers teachers who are part of the free Office Depot or OfficeMax rewards program a 25% off coupon for qualifying purchases during Teacher Appreciation Days, Aug. 1-4 and Aug. 29 – Sept. 1.
Nordstrom: Madewell partnership grows

Seattle - Nordstrom and J. Crew Group are expanding a merchandising partnership.

Nordstrom is doubling the number of stores that will carry J. Crew’s Madewell brand of women’s apparel items and accessories.

The department store retailer plans to expand the number of stores carrying Madewell products from 15 to 30 by the end of July, with Nordstrom.com also offering Madewell goods. Nordstrom is the only U.S. retailer to sell a broad assortment of Madewell merchandise, outside of Madewell stores.
Survey: Nike swooshes past back-to-school competitors

Beloit, Wis. – Athletic brand Nike, which first rose to dominance with the ascent of longtime spokesperson Michael Jordan as an NBA superstar in the early 1990s, is maintaining its leading position with consumers.

According to a new survey of 1,000 U.S. adults by online deal site FatWallet, a leading 41% of kids are asking for Nike products this back-to-school season.
Shipt is giving Instacart, Deliv a run for their grocery money

As more shoppers increasingly shop online for a wider array of items, there's a new player in the online grocery delivery game.

Birmingham-based Shipt.com is looking to get a piece of the grocery delivery pie in cities not already served by Instacart, Deliv or other services. Shipt announced this week that it will begin grocery delivery from Publix in the Tampa Bay area in August.
Toys"R"Us to cheer on Special Olympics athletes

Toys"R"Us is supporting the Special Olympics in Los Angeles this year in a new and innovative way.

The retailer is deploying employee volunteers to encourage and cheer on the littlest athletes, as they reach personal victories in a variety of sporting activities. Toys"R"Us has a longstanding commitment to the Special Olympics, and as a Games Level sponsor of the 2015 World Games, is able to help the organization's efforts to bring the benefit of sports to children and adults of all abilities.