News

Houston -- A Tuesday report by NPD Group found that total consumer traffic through convenience stores was down 2.1% in the third quarter, compared with the same period last year.

NPD’s convenience store market research reports that the traffic decline this quarter was largely driven by lower purchase frequency (5.9 visits per 30 days), but was also influenced by a slight decline in the overall reach of the channel (only 50.2% of consumers aged 16+).
 

Leading third party logistic provider Transplace has acquired Canada’s Torus Freight Systems.

Transplace, a leading provider of transportation management services and logistics technology, acquired for an undisclosed sum Torus Freight Systems, a Canadian-based logistics services company focused on Canadian cross-border and intra-Canada freight.

ATLANTA — The Coca-Cola Company and Select Milk Producers have teamed up to acquire the newly created Fair Oaks Farms Brands, which owns and operates Core Power, a high protein milkshake.

With the Fair Oaks Farms Brands, the Coca-Cola Company and Select will expand an ever-growing portfolio of brands and products, which will now feature dairy.

SmartWatch is the name of a new risk-monitoring tool LexisNexis created to help supply chain management professionals keep tabs on potentially disruptive events.

New York -- AutoZone said it acquired online automotive retailer AutoAnything.com in conjunction with the release of first quarter earnings Tuesday morning.

Profit at the nation’s largest retailer of automotive products increased 6.4% to $203.5 million during the quarter ended Nov. 17, and sales rose 3.5% to $2 billion. Same-store sales edged up 0.2%.

Framingham, Mass. -- The impact of omnichannel retail on the supply chain, customer experience and merchandise optimization is one of IDC Retail Insights’ Top 10 Predictions for the Retail Industry in 2013.

IDC will reveal the complete list on Dec. 6 (for more information, http://bit.ly/RI_Predictions2013_Retail), but as a “preview,” the company predicts the following three trends will make an impact on the retail industry in the coming year:

New York -- Multiple reports on Tuesday revealed that private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners disclosed in a regulatory filing that it has upped its stake in shoe retailer DSW Inc. to 1.3 million shares – or 3% of the company.

The news sent DSW shares upward as much as 6% on Tuesday.

Leonard Green previously owned 981,196 shares in DSW before raising its stake. It was forced to disclose its new position after a request for confidential treatment expired on Nov. 28.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Staples and LinkedIn have teamed up to launch SUCCEED: Small Business Network, an online forum for small business professionals.