News

Verizon Wireless unveiled its new "destination store" format, in Mall of America, Bloomington, Minn. The sleek, modern-looking 9,715-sq.-ft. store is designed to show customers how wireless technology fits into their mobile lifestyles.

In keeping with the new holiday tradition of revealing promotions early, Walmart on Friday shared its range of extreme value items and free shipping offers and pushed the start of Cyber Monday to Saturday, November 30.

The headliner deal is a LG brand 55 inch, 3D LED television with a sound bar for $799 along with 200 other online specials that will last through Friday, December 6. Walmart also reduced its free shipping threshold to $35 from $50.

Greensboro, N.C. -- The Fresh Market posted weaker than expected sales and earnings for its third quarter. The upscale grocer also reduced its guidance for the year.

For the 13-week quarter ended Oct. 27, net income was up some 1.8%, to $11.1 million.

Net sales grew 13.4%, to $364.5 million. Comparable-store sales increased 3.1%.

Here’s something you may not have heard in a while: Competition from multiple buyers is causing a spike in the price of many shopping centers. This isn’t a minor bubble, either — it has become apparent to me that the extremely competitive nature of the current market has led to some dramatic overpricing. From my perspective, many of the price tags on power centers and grocery-anchored neighborhood centers (and, to a lesser extent, traditional malls and unanchored strip centers) are getting out of touch with reality.

Minerco Resources, parent company of Level 5 Beverage Company, has appointed beverage executive Darin Ezra to Level 5’s board of directors.

Ezra will take a leadership role in both the tactical and strategic direction of the company. He has more than 15 years of experience in the packaged consumer goods industry.

Ezra co-founded Power Brands Consulting in 2006 and serves as its CEO. Power Brands has been party to the development of more than 500 beverage brands.

Seattle – The Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in New York has reportedly ruled that Starbucks baristas must share their tips with supervisors. According to the Associated Press, the ruling supports a lower court finding that baristas at Starbucks must share tips with shift supervisors, since the supervisors do much of the same work as the baristas.

Despite the growing popularity of online shopping, millions of consumers will flock to the stores this Black Friday. According to a recent study from WD Partners, "Amazon Can't Do That: Consumer Desire & the Store of the Future,” 79% of consumers rank instant ownership as a top factor in influencing how they shop.

Other store-friendly top influencers include sensory experience and product immersion (75%), emotional experience of interacting with live human beings, community, and personal service.

Raleigh, N.C. – Thanksgiving holiday sales are not getting much social promotion this year from retailers. According to an analysis of 494 brand posts from eight retailers by social software company Expion, only 10 focused on Thanksgiving holiday sales (Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday), or just 2% of all brand posts, and only five of the eight retailers posted about holiday sales.