All North America articles – Page 25

  • Uniqlo aims to open 1,000 stores in both China and the US by 2020
    Analysis

    International analysis: Uniqlo has work to do to meet ambitious targets

    12 April 2013

    Fast Retailing’s president and chairman Tadashi Yanai has topped US magazine Forbes’ 2013 list of the 50 wealthiest people in Japan.

  • News

    OfficeMax launches small-format store

    10 April 2013

    OfficeMax has launched a small-format store called OfficeMax Business Solutions Center.The initiative follows the retailer’s strategy of consolidating its big-box office supplies shops into smaller, more interactive stores.The first Business Solutions Center opened in Milwaukee. The store will offer tailored services and products, catering to the needs of small businesses. ...

  • Walmart plans to extend its trial of shipping online orders from stores
    Analysis

    International analysis: Walmart steps up to the multichannel plate

    5 April 2013

    The world’s largest retailer, Walmart, has revealed it will be piloting in-store collection lockers in its home market.

  • News

    Department store JC Penney revives abandoned pricing strategy

    5 April 2013

    Department store group JC Penney has revived the pricing strategy it had abandoned, which involves increasing prices of private label lines then discounting them as a means of improving sales and margins.The retailer began changing merchandise prices in March and will complete the process this month, according to a JC ...

  • News

    Drugstore operator CVS launches iPad app

    3 April 2013

    Drugstore operator CVS has launched an iPad app that enables customers to explore a virtual 3D CVS/Pharmacy store and shop from their tablet. The app is the first of its kind and incorporates an interactive interface using gesture-based movements.Brian Tilzer, senior vice-president and chief digital officer of CVS/Pharmacy, said: “Our ...

  • Clinton Cards owner American Greetings taken private by founding family
    News

    Clinton Cards owner American Greetings taken private by founding family

    2 April 2013

    Clinton Cards parent company American Greetings has been taken private by its founding and controlling family in a deal estimated at $878m.

  • Grocer Tesco poised to exit the US as Fresh & Easy sale nears
    News

    Grocer Tesco poised to exit US as Fresh & Easy sale nears completion

    28 March 2013

    Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke is poised to sell its US Fresh & Easy business just four months after putting the loss-making chain under review.

  • News

    Sales rise at off-price retailer Ross Stores

    28 March 2013

    Off-price retailer Ross Stores’ sales in the fourth quarter ended February 2 rose 15% to $2.76bn (£1.81bn) and like-for-likes advanced 5%. Net earnings rocketed 23% to $236.6m (£155.7m).For the full year, sales increased 13% to $9.72bn (£6.39bn) with like-for-likes climbing 6%, while net earnings soared 20% to $786.8m (£517.8m). Michael ...

  • News

    Stong performance for homewares retailer Williams-Sonoma

    28 March 2013

    Homewares retailer Williams-Sonoma’s net revenues increased 8.7% to $4.04bn (£2.66bn) in the year ended February 3. Performance was driven by a 14.5% increase in direct-to-customer revenues and like-for-like growth of 6.1%.Net earnings rose 8.4% to $256.7m (£168.9m).

  • News

    Walmart to develop global ecommerce platform

    28 March 2013

    Walmart is developing a global ecommerce platform called Pangea. Speaking to investors at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Consumer & Retail Conference, Walmart chief financial officer Charles Holley said: “We want to have a common global platform that can flex to the market.”The US retail giant also aims to ...

  • News

    Supervalu completes sale to AB Acquisition

    26 March 2013

    Supervalu has completed the sale of its Albertsons, Acme, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s and Star Market banners.The disposal to AB Acquisition, an affiliate of an investment consortium led by Cerberus Capital Management, is a stock deal valued at $3.3bn (£2.17bn), which includes $100m (£65.8m) in cash and $3.2bn (£2.1bn) in debt assumption.

  • News

    EBay's new courier service attracts major US retailers

    15 March 2013

    eBay’s new courier service, eBay Now has attracted major US retailers such as Target, Best Buy, Walgreens and Macy’s, reported Mashable.The service launched in October last year and is now available in San Francisco, New York and San Jose. The service allows shoppers to order items for same-day delivery throughout ...

  • Sir Philip Green collects his award
    Analysis

    Oracle Retail Week Awards: Sir Philip Green – taking retail to new levels

    15 March 2013

    Sir Philip Green, winner of this year’s Outstanding Contribution to Retail award, talks about building his empire, US success and doing his bit for the industry.

  • News

    Walmart launches online product range

    13 March 2013

    Walmart has launched an online range of products from small and medium-sized enterprises owned by women on its website, to support economic empowerment.More than 200 items, from jewellery and iPad cases to coffee beans and clothing, will be sold on the Empowering Women Together section of Walmart.com.The range comes from ...

  • News

    Best Buy to cut 400 jobs in cost saving initiative

    8 March 2013

    Electronics retailer Best Buy is cutting 400 jobs at its Richfield, Minnesota headquarters in an effort to save $150m (£99.6m).Store assistants will not be included in the restructuring and no store closures are planned.However, additional cost-reduction initiatives are likely to follow over the rest of the year.Separately, the retailer has ...

  • News

    Department store Macy's reports solid performance for 2012

    8 March 2013

    Department store group Macy’s reported a solid performance in 2012 on the back of strong online growth.For the full year, sales reached $27.69bn (£18.38bn), an increase of 4.9% on the previous year. Like-for-like sales, which strip out an extra week in fiscal 2012, increased 3.7%, beating company guidance.Online sales from ...

  • News

    Walmart records solid trading for fourth quarter

    1 March 2013

    Walmart recorded solid trading in its fourth quarter. In the 13 weeks to January 25 group net sales increased by 3.9% to $127.1bn (£84.13bn). Group income from continuing operations rose 7.9% to $5.6bn (£3.71bn).Much of the growth was driven by overseas operations. Walmart International reported a 6.9% increase in fourth-quarter ...

  • Office Depot
    Analysis

    International analysis: Office Depot snaps up rival to take on Staples

    1 March 2013

    Office Depot has acquired smaller rival OfficeMax in a $1.2bn (£794m) all-stock deal. The newly formed business remains behind market leader Staples.

  • News

    Walmart has 'worst sales start to a month in seven years'

    22 February 2013

    Walmart has reportedly had the worst sales start to a month in seven years, according to a leaked internal email obtained by Bloomberg.The email, from the company’s vice-president of finance and logistics Jerry Murray, reported that month-to-date sales were “a total disaster”.Possible reasons for the poor performance from the retailer ...

  • News

    Sales increase at organic grocer Whole Foods Market

    20 February 2013

    Sales at organic grocer Whole Foods Market in the first quarter were up 14% to $3.9bn (£2.5bn), and like-for-like sales rose 7.2%.EBITDA rose 19% to $337m (£217.8m) and net income advanced 24% to $146m (£94.4m).Co-chief executive officer Walter Robb said that a record 10 stores opened during the quarter, and ...