DSN Retailing Today articles from April 2001

DSN Retailing Today archives from April 2001

New supercenter reflects global synergy.(new Wal-Mart supercenter store in Puerto Rico)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... CAYEY, PUERTO RICO - Wal-Mart's ability to execute its strategy of sharing global best practices will be put to the test in Puerto Rico with the recent opening of the island's first supercenter. Wal-Mart created a 190,000-sq.-ft. global...

Kmart turns to Blue Light to boost image.(revives the 'Blue Light special')(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... NEW YORK -- Now that the Blue Light is back at Kmart, the mystery of the company's "big marketing plan" has been solved. Now, the only question is just exactly how the revival of this "retail icon" will illuminate Kmart's future. With...

KRU Undergoes makeover.(new prototype store for Kids 'R' Us in Freehold, NJ)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Prototype revitalizes apparel division TOTOWA, N.J. -- One can almost see a brighter future for Kids "R" Us through the huge glass storefront of its newly opened prototype store here along this saturated retail strip about 30 miles from...

Costco launches on-line Business Center.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... ISSAQUAH, WASH. -- In a move that's sure to increase its footprint in office equipment retail, membership warehouse club Costco Corp. recently launched a new on-line endeavor called Business Center to increase its reach within the small- and...

'Retail icon' reflects new corporate culture.(KMart revives the 'bluelight special')(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... TROY, MICH. -- Most Americans will admit to having uttered the phrase, "Attention Kmart shoppers" at one time or another. And Kmart is banking on this kind of brand equity to help the disenfranchised retailer reconnect with its customers. ...

LOCATION: EUROPE.(Company Business and Marketing)
April 16, 2001... A photo of a cow about to take a bullet between the eyes, underneath the headline "Epidemic rocks Britain," is not what a beef-eating Iowa native wants to see minutes before boarding a plane to London. Already convinced to avoid beef thanks...

DSN Retailing Today names Lashinsky associate publisher.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... NEW YORK -- Paula Lashinsky has been named associate publisher of DSN Retailing Today. In this new role, Lashinsky will be responsible for all day-to-day sales and marketing activities. In addition, she will continue to serve as publisher of...

House2Home shift scaled back to 42.
April 16, 2001... IRVINE, CALIF. -- HomeBase will exit several markets this year and scale back expansion plans for its new House2Home retail format amid an uncertain retail environment. Rather than pursuing its original plan of having 67 House2Home stores in...

99 Cents Only steps up expansion.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... CITY OF COMMERCE, CALIF. -- A slumping stock market and concerns about a weakening economy have taken their toll on the retailing industry, but you wouldn't know by looking at fast-growing 99 Cents Only Stores. The 104-store chain based...

Music labels team up, launch MusicNet.(online music subscription services)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... On-line music subscription service could make freebies thing of past NATIONWIDE DSN REPORT -- With the Napster era drawing to a close, the major music labels are preparing new platforms to sell their music on the Internet. The...

TSA turnaround inches from endzone.(The Sports Authority)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. -- The Sports Authority has made great strides recently on the long road to a turnaround. Now it seems the only thing standing in the way of the finish line is the current economic slowdown. Company executives say...

Ames opens five, meets agenda.(Ames Department stores)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. --Ames rolled out five stores in March-the first and only openings slated for 2001--as it refocuses its efforts on its core strategy during trying times. Unlike past years, when the first quarter was just the...

Domestics Week targets tweens.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... NEW YORK -- More than any single product or color or style trend, what impressed at the latest Domestics Week in New York was the devotion that vendors are paying to a single demographic group: 11-to- 14-year-old girls, an age group better...

Jo-Ann Stores opens huge DC for markets west of Mississippi.(opens distribution center in Visalia, CA)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... VISALIA, CALIF. -- Jo-Ann Stores grand opened a 630,000-sq.ft. distribution center in Visalia, Calif. The $40 million warehouse will employ approximately 180 people by the third quarter of this year, and the company will use it for...

Best Buy to open five new stores in New York, New Jersey market.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... MINNEAPOLIS -- Best Buy Co. has signed leases for three new stores in New York and two in New Jersey scheduled to open late summer or fall 2001, the company reported. The 45,000-sq.-ft. stores are part of more than 60 new retail locations the...

Circuit City earnings dip.(4th quarter earnings report for Circuit City Stores Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... NEW YORK -- CE retailer Circuit City Stores Inc. has its wires crossed, and recently saw a 35% drop in fourth quarter earnings. The drop, which brought its earnings per diluted share down to $0.49 from $0.78 a year earlier, is blamed on...

Montgomery Ward auctions assets.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... SAN FRANSISCO -- Montgomery Ward has closed its doors. The liquidation of company assets will continue throughout April, including the sale of retail stores, warehouse distribution centers and product service outlets. In addition to the...

Viacom to keep Blockbuster.(to retain its 82% stake)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... NEW YORK -- Entertainment giant Viacom Inc. has decided to retain its 82% stake in Blockbuster Video. Viacom sold 18% of its holdings in Blockbuster in August 1999, and was expected to spin off the remainder of the 4,800-store chain when...

RadioShack cites earnings downturn for quarter in pre-announcement.(1st quarter earnings)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... FORT WORTH, TEXAS. -- RadioShack proved it isn't immune to the economic slowdown by announcing its first quarter earnings per share would be less than analysts' estimates. On April 6 the company said its earnings per share would fall in the...

Supervalu cuts 4,500 jobs.(restructuring attempt)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... MINNEAPOLIS -- Supervalu Inc. announced that it will cut approximately 4,500 jobs and close several stores and distribution facilities citing it as an attempt to revive its stock price and improve earnings. The job losses represent 7% of the...

Energy situation heats up.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Blackout warnings not just for California retailers ATLANTA -- The prediction that California's energy meltdown won't end any time soon and will probably spread to other parts of the country this summer is nothing new. But when such...

Gourmet show serves up opportunity for countertop appliance manufacturers.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... NEW ORLEANS -- The Gourmet Show has evolved during the last several years to become a key convention for the overall housewares market, especially for such categories as tabletop and kitchenware. The latest version of the show, to be held the...

Bluefly gets needed financial boost, completes equity offerings.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... NEW YORK -- Bluefly has completed two separate financings, one through the issuance of $10 million in common stock to affiliates of Soros Private Equity Partners, and the other through a credit facility that offers Bluefly access to extra...

AOL and PurchasePro to accelerate B2B, e-commerce effort.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... America Online Inc. and PurchasePro, a leading enabler of business-to-business e-commerce solutions, recently announced 10 new strategic partnerships to accelerate their joint development of the Netscape Netbusiness Marketplace, which...

PlanetRx.com announces liquidation plans.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... MEMPHIS, TENN. -- The board of directors for PlanetRx.com has authorized a plan of liquidation and proxy statement to be submitted for shareholder approval at a company meeting tentatively scheduled for June 12, 2001. The company plans to...

eBay modifies customer privacy policy.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... SAN JOSE, CALIF. -- EBay Inc. released a new privacy statement informing users that personal data would be shared if the company is bought or merges with another company. The change was made in consideration of the Federal Trade Commission's...

Borders.com features new magazine stand.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... ANN ARBOR, MICH. -- Borders.com will launch an on-line magazine newsstand in a partnership with Minneapolis-based MegaMags Inc. Borders.com Newsstand will offer over 21,000 magazines in single copies, back issues and subscriptions.

Webvan adds photo-developing services.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... FORESTER CITY, CALIF. -- Webvan has formed an alliance with on-line photo services company PhotoWorks. As a result of the deal, shoppers in the Atlanta, Chicago, Sacramento, San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego markets may now purchase...

Study: Poor on-line service drives consumers from retail stores.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... NEW YORK -- Jupiter Media Metrix reported that poor on-line customer service from a click-and-mortar retailer will drive 70% of U.S. on-line buyers to spend less money at that merchant's off-line store. In addition, a new Jupiter report...

Sears' The Great Indoors living it up on the Web.(home furnishings Web site)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILL. -- Even though The Great Indoors is only in four markets, Sears wanted shoppers across America to become familiar with the name. On March 8, the launch of www.thegreatindoors.com brought 10,000 home furnishings products...

E-tailers seek site management to cope with product overload.
April 16, 2001... NATIONWIDE DSN REPORT -- Now that e-commerce has entered adolescence after surviving its first major shakeup in 2000, it's safe to say many e-tail neophytes have spent the last few years going through a crash course in merchandising, pricing...

INSIDER TRADES.(in the retail industry)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 16, 2001... NATIONWIDE DSN REPORT -- The following are major insider trades as reported to the SEC. STOCKS BOUGHT One Price Clothing: Leonard Snyder, chairman, bought 3,000 shares on March 19 to March 21 at $0.88 to $0.94, now owns 75,750...

RETAIL IPO SCOREBOARD.(share price movements of retail companies involved with initial public offerings)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 16, 2001... RETAIL IPO SCOREBOARD Exchange/Company Gross Shares % Chg. proceeds sold since (in $mil.) (in mil.) offering...

MAJOR INDICES.
April 16, 2001... MAJOR INDICES Close Close Net Percent 3/16/01 3/30/01 Change Change DSN Retailing Today 4299.07 4514.89 215.82 5.02% Dow Jones Ind. Avg....

DSN RETAILING TODAY STOCK ANALYSIS.(retail stock price movements)(Statistical Data Included)
April 16, 2001... DSN RETAILING TODAY STOCK ANALYSIS CLOSING CLOSING NET PERCENT PRICE PRICE CHANGE CHANGE P/E COMPANY ...

Symptomatic of financial woes, Warnaco is eliminating its Fruit of the Loom bra business.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... As a result, it's closed a Dominican Republic plant and eliminated 1,000 jobs. This is the latest hurdle that Warnaco has faced. Standard & Poor's and Moody's Investors Service have lowered its corporate credit rating to junk bond status....

No summer at the beach for Hampton Industries Inc.'s employees.(in credit default, financially restructuring)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... The sportswear and sleepwear manufacturer is in default under a senior credit facility. It may sell some or all assets. Hampton has agreed to terminate its Nautica children's wear agreement with Nautica Enterprises; Nautica will purchase...

DuPont.(is laying off workers)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... DuPont can't Teflon-coat this one; it's cutting 4,000 jobs, half of them in its nylon and polyester apparel fiber business, primarily domestically Another 1,300 contract workers will be laid-off, for a savings of about $400 million, pre-tax....

Activewear action.(Fruit of the Loom and Gildan lawsuit)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Fruit of the Loom filed a lawsuit against Gildan Activewear alleging possession and use of confidential information by former employees, now in Gildan's employ In an unrelated incident, Gildan also closed a Barbados sewing plant at its...

The wrath of retailing knows no boundaries.(Marks & Spencer restructures)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... While the good old USA has experienced its share of venerable retailers who have been strategically challenged, to say the least, one of the world's most notable retail chains can now be added to the infamous list that no company wants to be...

Kmart's better off in the blue than in the red.(Blue Light Special marketing campaign)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Every savvy retailer has a device to draw in-store traffic. Wal-Mart uses EDLP and price rollbacks. Target uses power brands like Starbucks and Mossimo. And now Kmart has brought back the Blue Light Special, a promotional tool made famous in...

Good times often overcome the bad.(retail trade)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Are these good times or bad times? It depends on who you ask. Someone who profited from the nation's long economic boom and, at the same time, planned for the inevitable slowdown, would probably say times are pretty good--but not quite as...

Culture beats internal theft.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... While security cameras and surveillance tags on merchandise are helping to control the age-old problem of shoplifting, an even more troublesome breach is growing right under the noses of retail managers: internal theft. Indeed, losses from...

New food concept balances fast food with casual dining.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... SOUTH NORWALK, CONN. -- Fast food patrons are settling in. According to a recent study sponsored by King-Casey Inc., a retail design and branding consultancy, a new restaurant category called "Fast Casual" is making its way into consumer's...

Phone, Web purchases on the rise.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 16, 2001... WASHINGTON -- Alexander Graham Bell would be proud. A new study from the American Teleservices Association shows that nearly half of American consumers (45%) have initiated a purchase over the telephone in the last year. In addition, the...

Report: Teens exert control over household brands.(in choice of consumer goods)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... NEW YORK -- A research report issued by Interep found that teens exert control over advertising for categories such as clothing and CDs, as well as the family's choice of grocery brands. According to an analysis of Mediamark Research, 55% of...

On-line sales rise in February despite economic slowdown.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 16, 2001... On-line shopping got a boost in February as consumers warmed up from the spending chill that put a frost on the post-holiday period. Both the National Retail Federation and Forrester Research reported that online spending increased to $3.4...

Health and beauty care attracts youthful Boomers.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 16, 2001... Every month, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) mails out nine million letters inviting those Americans turning 50, Baby Boomers and all, to join their organization. As the Boomers age, their sheer size makes them a market...

Publix adds wire transfer service.(deal with Western Union)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... ENGLEWOOD, COLO. -- Publix Super Markets has signed a five-year agreement with Western Union to offer money transfer services at all 648 of its supermarkets in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. The deal followed a pilot program in...

Quality Foods expands Best coffee.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... SEATTLE -- Quality Food Stores, a division of Kroger, will convert its Veneto branded coffee bars, kiosks and fresh brew to the Seattle's Best Coffee brand over the next six months. More immediately, all 87 QFC stores in Washington and Oregon...

Kellogg integrates Keebler deal.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... BATTLE CREEK, MICH. -- Kellogg Company's purchase last month of cookie and cracker maker Keebler Foods gives the cereal maker a stronger foothold in its fast-growing snack food business. Not only does the deal add to Kellogg's product lineup,...

P&G eliminates 9% of workforce.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... CINCINNATI -- Procter & Gamble's plan to improve competitiveness involves cost-cutting measures to the tune of nearly $700 million, including eliminating 9% of its workforce or 9,600 jobs worldwide. About 40% of these layoffs will be in the...

Health food, like bell bottoms, puts mojo back in mass.
April 16, 2001... The health food craze is back. This time, market growth isn't coming from peace-loving granola junkies of the '60s interested in saving the earth, but from a much subtler, stronger influence: working moms and aging Baby Boomers seeking...

Popularity of self-checkout relates back to control.(Productivity Solutions Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Just about any shopper can identify with this scenario. You're late for an appointment while in line at the supermarket checkout. Fate, it seems, has placed you in the line with the world's slowest cashier, scanning what appears to be the...

One Price Clothing.(store openings)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... One Price Clothing is scaling back its store opening plans. In fiscal 2001, it will open seven new locations--five in the United States and two in Puerto Rico--and relocate or enlarge 10 of its most productive stores. Also, as part of a...

Goody's Family Clothing.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 16, 2001... After enduring a difficult 2000 fiscal year, Goody's Family Clothing is predicting positive comparable store sales for the second half of 2001. Its fiscal 2001 plans currently call for the opening of about 17 new stores, the relocation or...

Ross Stores.(store expansion)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Ross Stores will accelerate its new store expansion program in fiscal 2001 by adding 35 to 40 units. Ten to 12 will open in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina--all new markets for the company. Ross opened 34 new stores and closed...

Latino culture.(Clothing marketed under Latin culture themes)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... As the Latino population surges--it is currently 12.5% of the U.S. population, according to the latest census reports--its culture is having a significant impact on American lifestyle, not least of which is fashion. Guess jeans was...

Denim category evolves under lifestyle influence.
April 16, 2001... Denim is back. And while its return is a welcome sign in the apparel industry, it comes at a time when retailers have changed their approach to casual fashions, leaving little consensus over the best merchandising methods. Lifestyle...

HomeBase.(closing stores)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... HomeBase plans to shutter 25 home improvement centers once slated for conversion to House2Home units, and release more than 2,600 employees in reaction to the weakened economy. HomeBase said it now expects to open 42 House2Home stores rather...

Cost Plus.(store openings)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Cost Plus has completed its store openings for the first quarter; it opened five new stores, one more than planned. The additional store was accelerated from the second quarter. New stores were debuted in Escondido, Calif.; Evanston, Ill.;...

Costco.(confusion with Cosco Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Club warehouse retailer Costco has been the unfortunate victim of mistaken identity. The company reported that "some news organizations" had recently confused it with Cosco Inc., a furniture manufacturer that recently issued a recall of its...

Franco Manufacturing.(licensse from Mattel)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Franco Manufacturing has won a license from Mattel to develop and produce boys' bedding, bath and beach towels for the Hot Wheels line of products. New Hot Wheels bedding will be based on photo real art.

Libman.(new web site: mamalibman.com)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Libman has introduced a new Web site, www.mamalibman.com, designed to help surfers find information ranging from cleaning tips to planograms. The site, hosted by the company's Mama Libman character, will also include a store locator for...

Imperial Home Decor Group.(deal with Laura Ashley)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... The Imperial Home Decor Group has developed an exclusive Laura Ashley wallpaper program for Lowe's with a unique merchandising component. It includes cross-merchandising with Valspar paints and Beaulieu carpets and rugs, and features custom...

Bath segment heats up as competition mounts.
April 16, 2001... Bath is becoming a significantly tight, hotly contested segment as specialists and broadliners build lively rivalries by introducing more elements to their assortments. Broadliners have been particularly active recently, devoting...

Funky fish.(home fashions)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... No one knows why, or at least they aren't volunteering information, but fish are a hot commodity these days in home fashions. Examples abound, and Bed Bath & Beyond may be to blame. After all, it sold a lot of finny tropical soap...

Aromatherapy catches on at leading retailers.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Sometimes the smell of success can be an actual aroma, particularly as retailers begin to look at scented home products as a segment that is establishing a solid presence in stores as an adjunct to candles. Of course, the popularity of...

Walgreens.(reduces prescription service time in Illinois stores)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Walgreens will stop prescription service on evenings and Sundays in 30 Illinois stores due to recent cuts in state Medicaid payments. Now, prescription hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. In December, the state cut the...

Drug Emporium.(files for bankruptcy)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Drug Emporium has filed for Chapter 11, a condition of its sale to Minn.-based Snyder's. Under the agreement, Drug Emporium's existing common stock, options and other equities would be cancelled. Also, Drug Emporium will close 51 of its 131...

Rite Aid.(new bath and body products)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Rite Aid has launched three exclusive lines of bath and body products. The lines include Pure Spring, which combines simplicity with the therapeutic effects of shea butter, vitamin E, green tea and marine extracts; Elsewhere, traditional bath...

Clairol Herbal Essences.(new hair color formulation)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Clairol Herbal Essences brought a new permanent hair color that does not contain ammonia to market this month. According to director of research and development Steve Casperson, "We have replaced the ammonia in the formulation with an ammonia...

Revlon.(new skin care products)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Revlon is launching its Almay Kinetin Skincare Advanced Anti-Aging products. The line, comprised of seven skincare products that are hypo-allergenic and 100% fragrance free, include age decelerating daily cream, repair and rejuvenate night...

What's hot Powered-up toothbrushes.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Popularity of oral gadgets is increasing as America's obsession with brushing, flossing and rinsing reaches new heights. Sales of power toothbrushes, oral irrigators and other gadgets grew 42.7% to $425 million in the 52 weeks ended Feb. 25,...

Retailers are brushing up on the latest oral care advances.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 16, 2001... The oral care category is a mixed blessing for retailers. While on the one hand certain segments are growing, on the other hand they are stagnant. Fortunately, there have been a bounty of new merchandise introductions that have kept consumers...

Tom's of Maine.(new children's toothpaste)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Tom's of Maine will add a children's natural non-fluoride toothpaste in Groovy Grape flavor this summer. The product was developed as a result of requests from consumers who want to eliminate fluoride from their children's oral care regimen....

Colgate-Palmolive.(new whitening toothpaste)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Colgate recently entered the fast-growing whitening segment with Colgate Total Plus Whitening, the only whitening toothpaste approved by the FDA to help prevent cavities, gingivitis and plaque. Total Plus Whitening contains a high-cleaning...

Rembrandt.(new tooth bleaching system)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Rembrandt Oral Care Products has brought its Rembrandt Plus Superior Bleaching System to retail. The system's active ingredient is Citroxian, Rembrandt's patented stain remover, which was the first ADA-accepted bleaching formula used by...

Butler.(new toothbrushes)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2001... Butler is now shipping its Protect brush, the first brush with FDA-approved antibacterial bristles and replaceable heads. The new brush, which retails for under $5, is packaged with two replacement heads and is positioned as a premium brush...

Burlington Coat Factory.(financial statistics)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 16, 2001... Third quarter profits at Burlington Coat Factory rose by 5.0%, beating analyst's expectations. Lower markdown levels during the December holiday season were a big factor in the company's increase to $0.82 a share, as compared to $0.76 a share...

Competition is getting tougher in food segment.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... A number of major retailers have done their year-end conference calls lately. Although what they said of the past is interesting, what they've revealed about the future is even more important to mass market retailers. The long and short...

Circuit City.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 2, 2001... According to a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu bought 12.16 million shares of Circuit City common stock. The reasoning bebind the purchase is cause for much speculation as he already...

Future Shop.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Future Shop, Canada's leading retailer and e-tailer of consumer electronics, announced it has entered a multistore deal with First Professional Management Inc., a national shopping center development company, to build seven new stores. The...

RadioShack.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... It seems Alex Rodriguez is still signing contracts. Recently he inked a deal with RadioShack to be a new spokesman for the chain, while the retailer in turn agreed to a sponsorship deal with major league baseball. RadioShack will be the...