News

DALLAS -- Tuesday Morning's third-quarter sales offered another boost to the home retail segment, albeit not to the extent of Bed Bath & Beyond or Pier 1, which reported 4Q comps of 8.5% and 8.9%, respectively. 

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- AutoZone announced that it has recognized Great Neck Saw as Extra Miler: Supplier of the Year during the annual AutoZone Vendor Summit held in Memphis, Tenn.

HOUSTON -- Kroger announced that, beginning  April 13, Kroger customers in the Greater Houston area will be able to save up to $1 per gallon at 68 Kroger Fuel Centers through the grocer's new fuel accumulation program. Kroger's latest gas savings initiative will allow shoppers to redeem up to 1,000 fuel points, which are earned through everyday grocery, prescription and gift card purchases using the Kroger Plus card, during a single fill-up.

YONKERS, N.Y. — More than three-quarters of women regard themselves as bargain hunters, a new national poll featured in the May issue of ShopSmart magazine found.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. and HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- Walmart and Sears Holdings have both announced their commitment to helping military members maintain employment when moving from one community to another.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Finish Line announced that Donald Gualdoni has been appointed VP business development and corporate strategy, effective April 14.

DALLAS --  AT&T announced that it has partnered with LG for the launch of its first prepaid smartphone. The LG Thrive and LG Phoenix will join AT&T's GoPhone lineup on April 17. 

Both smartphones will be available for purchase nationwide at AT&T company-owned retail stores and in select national retail locations.

Both feature a 3.2 inch color full-touch display, Android 2.2 platform, Exchange email support, unlimited Wi-Fi usage on the entire national AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spot network and a 3.2-megapixel camera.

New York City -- J. Crew said Tuesday that it plans a $20 million expansion of its Lynchburg, Va., distribution center to facilitate the retailer’s goal of selling more clothes overseas.

According to a report in the Lynchburg newspaper News & Advance, J. Crew is slated to open its first store outside the tates and start shipping orders to Europe by the end of 2011. Those orders will be filled at J. Crew’s facility in Lynchburg.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores said Tuesday it plans to reduce space for electronics in its U.S. stores, saying that sales in that category have declined.

The company will reduce floor space devoted to items such as flat-screen televisions and give some of that space to apparel, according to Rosalind Brewer, who runs the Wal-Mart East division and addressed a retail conference in Atlanta on Tuesday.

Atlanta -- A report released Tuesday by First Data Corp. found that, despite tough comps and a late Easter, March 2011 same-store consumer spending by credit, signature debit, PIN debit, EBT cards and checks at U.S. merchant locations showed a steady uptick.