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February 6, 2014 Walmart is marking the 20th anniversary of its entry into Canada this year by spending big bucks to expand physical stores and distribution capacity while devoting a much smaller portion of a $500 million budget to e-commerce. Walmart said it would spend close to $500 million in Canada this year with $376... Read more »

February 10, 2014 Sears has launched a new service powered by the chain’s Shop Your Way mobile app that enables customers to pick up their online purchases at any Sears store within five minutes of arrival.  The service allows members to pick up purchases without leaving their cars, hence its name: In-Vehicle Pickup. “The In-Vehicle... Read more »

February 10, 2014 The Home Depot has opened a new direct fulfillment center (DFC) in the Locust Grove suburb of Atlanta.  It is the first of three new DFC’s the company will open across the U.S. in the next two years, adding more than 3 million sq. ft. and approximately 1,000 jobs to its supply... Read more »

December 12, 2014 The Home Depot reportedly plans to invest $300 million on technology and supply chain upgrades during its fiscal year 2014, which begins in February 2014.  According to the Wall Street Journal, the results will include three new fulfillment centers in California, Atlanta and Ohio by 2016, as well as same-day shipping for... Read more »

February 6, 2014 The weather posed a significant challenge for Fred’s in January.  According to CEO Bruce A Efird, Mother Nature not only disrupted consumer shopping patterns, but also resulted in more than 120 store closings during the final week of the month. “Prior to the last week of January, sales were running in the... Read more »

February 6, 2014 Retail industry sales (which exclude automobile, gas stations, and restaurants) will increase 4.1% in 2014, up from the preliminary 3.7% growth seen in 2013, according to the National Retail Federation.  The association’s 2014 economic forecast calls for online sales to grow between 9% and 12%. A number of factors contributed to NRF’s... Read more »

February 6, 2014 Kohl’s January sales were significantly lower than planned as a result of lower traffic and low levels of clearance merchandise.  Comparable-store sales decreased 2%.  Combined November and December same-store sales increased 0.8%. Unanticipated expenses in servicing its e-commerce business led to higher-than-expected costs for the quarter.  As a result of these expenses,... Read more »

February 4, 2014 On the heels of a healthy yet modest holiday shopping season, cautious consumers aren’t quite ready to splurge on Valentine’s Day this year, continuing to keep their budgets in check. According to the National Retail Federation’s 2014 Valentine’s Day spending survey conducted by Prosper Insights and Analytics, 54% of Americans will celebrate... Read more »

February 4, 2014 J.C. Penney scored its first positive quarterly sales result since 2011, reporting a same store sales increase of 2% in the fourth quarter, which included the holiday season. “While 2013 brought a lot of change and challenges to J.C. Penney, the steady improvements in our business show that the company’s turnaround is... Read more »