News

Kmart shoppers can avoid a $3.95 activation fee when they sign up online for the retailer’s new reloadable, prepaid MasterCard, but those who do so will need to remain vigilant to avoid other fees.

NEW YORK — eBay's latest move to brand itself as more than just an online auction site, involves the launch of an exclusive designer collection for the holiday season. The company has partnered with designers Billy Reid, Chris Benz, Fallon, Jonathan Adler, Ruffian, Steven Alan and Tibi for an original, limited-edition gift collection of men’s and women’s apparel, jewelry, travel and electronics accessories and home décor.

Minneapolis -- A Monday report in the Wall Street Journal said that grocery supplier C&S Wholesale Grocers is said to be interested in buying the distribution business of Supervalu Inc.

On July 11, Supervalu – which owns such grocery banners as Albertson’s, Jewel-Osco and Save-A-Lot – revealed it would explore a sale of all or part of the company. It said it had hired Goldman Sachs and Greenhill & Co. to launch a review of strategic options, including asset sales.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart became one of the first retailers to offer a reloadable prepaid card requiring no initial charge to load funds with the launch of its new Halogen Reloadable Prepaid MasterCard offered by Green Dot. In addition to the no charge for loading funds, the card offers free ATM withdrawals from network ATMs, and is available with no bank account, credit check or minimum balance required.

By Jeff Fowler, [email protected]

Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- A recent survey of more than 6,500 U.S. consumers found that Americans consult their social media apps before, during and after retail store visits.

The survey, conducted by customer experience management solution-provider Empathica, found that mobile and social customer experience strategies are becoming more important than ever for brands, with nearly three in four consumers using Facebook to make retail and restaurant decisions.

Redwood Shores, Calif. -- Improving the cross-channel customer experience and optimizing the supply chain ranked as retailers’ biggest challenges in a new study by Oracle. The report also found that mobile access is key: Forty percent of retailers said that providing store associates with mobile access to customer, product, inventory and other information is critical to their business, along with providing the entire organization with a more consistent and complete view of the customer (40%).

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Stater Bros. Markets has promoted David Harris to the position of SVP finance, CFO and principal accounting officer of Stater Bros. Markets, effective June 18.