News

San Diego -- PriceSmart's same-store sales rose 17.7% in August. Total revenue for the five weeks ended Sept. 4 climbed 21.5% to $148.3 million.

PriceSmart also announced that on August 19, 2011 opened its first warehouse club in Colombia. This warehouse club, located in Barranquilla, brings to 29 the total number of warehouse clubs in operation by the company.

PriceSmart, based in San Diego, had 29 warehouse clubs at August's end. The company runs membership warehouse clubs in Central America and the Caribbean.

NEW YORK — The Private Label Manufacturers Association announced that Douglas Merrill will serve as the keynote speaker for the organization's 2011 Private Label Trade Show in November.

Merrill, who served as EVP engineering and chief information officer for Google from 2003 to 2008, will offer attendees perspective on how shoppers and shopping behaviors are changing, and what the coming retail marketplace will look like. The keynote speech will be presented at the annual PLMA Salute to Excellence Breakfast on Nov. 14.

By Jonathan Cobb, [email protected]

MOSCOW — Gap Inc. announced that it has opened its first Banana Republic store in Russia through its franchise channel. The company also announced that it will open its first Gap store in Serbia on Friday. This store will represent the company’s 200th franchise store globally.

SAN FRANCISCO — Gap Inc.'s online boutiqe Piperlime announced that Rachel Bilson, Olivia Palermo and Byrdie Bell will join Rachel Zoe as guest editors to kick off the fall season.

“The idea of hosting guest editors on Piperlime.com has been integral to who we are since the day we launched in 2006,” said Jennifer Gosselin, VP and general manager of Piperlime.  “We started with Rachel Zoe and her popularity and reach has grown since then,” Gosselin continued.

Walmart's U.K. subsidiary Asda announced that it has mobilized its grocery site to enable shoppung from a smartphone. 

According to Asda, the new mobile-optimised site offers all of the features on the main Asda.com grocery website – meaning customers can register, shop and amend an existing order or delivery slot up until 10 p.m. the day before their delivery is due.

The new mobile optimised site also includes a mobile store locator, offering maps and directions so customers can find their nearest Asda when they are out and about, the company reported.

Houston -- Increased sales across its brands helped drive The Men's Wearhouse’s second-quarter net income up nearly 33%, beating estimates.

The retailer earned $57.1 million for the fiscal quarter that ended July 30, up from $43 million in the same quarter last year.

Revenue increased 22% to $655.5 million. Men's Wearhouse said its purchase in 2010 of two British uniform and work-wear companies helped drive business.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Supervalu has announced the sale of 107 fuel centers located in the Midwest, Intermountain West and West Coast regions following the acceptance of four separate bids to purchase the centers. The transactions include the majority of fuel centers within the Albertsons, Cub Foods, Hornbacher’s and Jewel-Osco banners.