News

Designer Cynthia Rowley and Staples today announced an exclusive work and home office collection that incorporates bold and artistic designs into everyday work and home spaces.   Cynthia Rowley Collection featuring visionary designs combined with new product finishes and treatments not typically seen in office accessories will debut at Staples stores nationwide beginning mid-Novermber.  

Amazon is “piloting” holiday pop-up stores this holiday season, with two confirmed locations in San Francisco and Sacramento, along with what may or may not be a permanent space in Manhattan. While theoretically Amazon is going to let the pilots run their course, analyze the results, and then possibly move forward with a rollout of more permanent brick-and-mortar stores, most observers expect the pilot is the first step in an already determined strategy to build a physical presence.  

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company has acquired Action Pest Control as it looks to leverage the equity of its Ortho brand and drive growth in the $7 billion pest control industry.

New York -- Incidents of smartphone “showrooming”—seeing a product in a store, then buying it online from another retailer using a smartphone—dropped from 37% in the United States last year to 28% in 2014. But “webrooming,” in which consumers buy in a store after researching a purchase online using a smartphone, was reported by an even higher proportion of respondents, 41%.  Those are among the findings of GfK’s 2014 FutureBuy global study of shopping habits and preferences.  

Richard Phillips is headlining an upcoming supply chain conference organized by several food trade organizations. If his name doesn’t ring a bell, try Captain Phillips, as in the guy Tom Hanks portrayed in the 2013 movie of the same name.

Chicago –- True Value Company has selected 360pi to provide competitive pricing intelligence spanning 50,000 branded and unbranded products over hundreds of regional zones. This improved visibility into the competitive landscape will help True Value keep and increase its competitive edge within local markets and drive conversions and revenue.  

Matthews, N.C. -- Family Dollar Stores Inc. has set Oct. 30., 2014 as the date for stockholders to vote on a proposed merger agreement with Dollar Tree Inc. Family Dollar has not yet set the time or location of the vote.