Dollar Tree To Acquire Family Dollar

July 28, 2014 Dollar Tree said it would acquire Family Dollar in a transformational cash and stock deal valued at $8.5 billion to create a company with more than 13,000 stores and annual sales of $18 billion. The deal was unanimously approved by the boards of both companys and involves Dollar Tree paying Family Dollar… Read more »

‘Solid’ Start In Fiscal 2015 For Supervalu

July 24, 2014 Supervalu posted $5.23 billion in net sales for the first quarter, a decrease of 0.1% from $5.24 billion last year; but president and CEO Sam Duncan expressed confidence in the company’s performance, saying it is off to a solid start across business segments. “Our first quarter results reflect the investments we are… Read more »

Gross Domestic Product By Industry: First Quarter 2014

July 25, 2014 Real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 2.9 percent in the first quarter of 2014 after increasing 2.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013.  Both private services and goods-producing industries contributed to the decrease, while the government sector increased slightly.  Durable-goods manufacturing; wholesale trade; and agriculture, forestry,… Read more »

New Home Sales Down 8.1 Percent In June

July 24, 2014 Sales of newly built, single-family homes fell 8.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 406,000 units in June, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.  Sales numbers for May were revised downward to 442,000. “The numbers are a… Read more »

Strong Remodeling Spending To Slow Pace Heading Into 2015

July 24, 2014 Growth in home improvement activity is expected to peak during the second half of 2014 and then begin to ease heading into next year, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released today by the Remodeling Futures Program of Harvard University.  Revised estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show the… Read more »

Greg Foran New CEO At Walmart U.S. As Bill Simon Departs

July 24, 2014 Walmart named Greg Foran president and CEO of its U.S. stores division to replace Bill Simon, who is leaving the company after an eight-year run. Foran is a relative newcomer at Walmart, who joined the company in October 2011 and by March of 2012 had been elevated to the role of president… Read more »

July Busy Month For Sam’s Club

July 17, 2014 Sam’s Club opened three new locations this month including locations near Chicago, Fort Worth and Wichita, Kansas, that pushed its club count to 630 units. The Wichita location at 3084 N. Maize Road opened on July 17 and provided Sam’s with an opportunity to remind current and prospective members of its value… Read more »

South Pushes Nationwide Housing Starts Down 9.3 Percent In June

July 17, 2014 Nationwide housing production fell 9.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 893,000 units in June, according to newly released figures from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.  The drop was due primarily to a nearly 30 percent decline in the South.  All other… Read more »