DSN Retailing Today articles from December 2000

DSN Retailing Today archives from December 2000

Kmart opens fifth SuperK in Denver.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 11, 2000... AURORA, COLO. -- The opening of Kmart's fifth supercenter in the Denver market last month revealed that the retailer's slow-moving expansion of the format is ready to shift into a higher gear so far. The retailer's strategy over the next...

Big-box merchants battle L.A. food restrictions.(WalMart and Kmart fight new food space legislation)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 11, 2000... LOS ANGELES -- A group of powerhouse retailers headed by WalMart and Kmart are battling a wave of new legislation in Southern California that would restrict the size of big-box retailers and the amount of space they could dedicate to...

Wiz, Cablevision synergies at work in format overhaul.(new store opens in Bethpage, Long Island)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 11, 2000... PLAINVIEW, N.Y. -- When Cablevision Systems rescued The Wiz from bankruptcy by acquisition in February 1998, it did so with the intention to use the consumer electronics specialty retailer as a showcase for its family of entertainment and...

A different neighborhood market.(Wal-Mart has new food store concept)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 11, 2000... Ex-Wal-Mart exec creates food format in Rogers, Ark. BENTONVILLE, ARK. -- WalMart created a buzz in Northwest Arkansas two years ago with the opening of its first Neighborhood Market store. Several more have opened in the area since then,...

E-tailers alter marketing plans, invest new dollars in old medium.(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... NEW YORK -- A new breed of retailer is adding to the catalogs, toy books and circulars that spill out of overstuffed Sunday newspapers during the holiday rush. Led by e-tail giants Amazon and eToys, the list of newbees to the newspaper...

Dollar General's Cal Turner Sr. dead at 85.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
December 11, 2000... SCOTTSVILLE, KY. -- Cal Turner Sr., a respected retail industry entrepreneur who pioneered the dollar store industry, died at his home last month in Scottsville, Ky. He was 85. In 1939, Turner and his father founded Dollar General, now...

Consolidated to unload KB, exit toy business.(Consolidated Stores Corp selling toy division)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 11, 2000... COLUMBUS, OHIO -- Consolidated Stores Corp. has found a buyer for its toy division, which includes K * B Toys, a nationwide chain of 1,320 stores, and KBkids.com, its e-commerce site. While Consolidated has not disclosed the identity of...

Target signs exclusive deal with Parents Magazine for educational toy line.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
December 11, 2000... MINNEAPOLIS -- Target has done it again. The trend-setting discount department store has signed another exclusive agreement with a manufacturer--in this case a toy manufacturer--just in time for the holiday rush. Parents magazine...

Sears Canada revives 'Eatons' with seven stores in six cities.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 11, 2000... TORONTO -- Sears Canada has rewritten Canadian retail history. After purchasing 19 units from defunct retailer T. Eaton Co. Ltd. in 1999, Sears Canada is keeping the Eatons name alive. The retailer recently opened seven Eatons units, the...

Costco opens three in Southeast.(Tampa, Jacksonville, FL and Durham, NC)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 11, 2000... TAMPA, FLA. -- Costco's plan to enter nearly two dozen new markets during its fiscal year, which began Sept. 4, continued during November with openings in Tampa and Jacksonville, Fla., and Durham, N.C. Those openings followed September and...

Craft, tech items turn heads at office products show.(Staedtler Inc.)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
December 11, 2000... MIAMI BEACH, FLA. -- Crafting products and digital accessories are among the lead items making inroads into the office supplies industry--a trend confirmed at the recent SHOPA show, where these product categories, along with a familiar cast...

CES braces for onslaught of everything digital.(2001 International Consumer Electronics Show)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... LAS VEGAS -- The 2001 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is expected to start the new year off with a bang--showcasing emerging technology, consolidating all categories into one location and providing a forum for debate on some of...

Lowe's upgrades Web site, adds 11,000 product skus.(Lowe's Companies Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... WILKESBORO, N.O. -- Lowe's experience selling ceiling fans, doors and private label tools on line since 1998 took a broad leap forward last month when the retailer relaunched its Web site in time for the holiday season, adding 3,000 major...

Canadian Tire and Hudson's Bay: latecomers to e-commerce game.(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... TORONTO - Two of Canada's leading retailers, Canadian Tire and Hudson's Bay, have finally launched on-line shopping sites. Canadian Tire Corp. rolled out its eBusiness strategy for consumers in late November, two days before Hudson's Bay Co....

Garden.com folds for lack of funds.(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... AUSTIN, TEXAS -- One of the earliest and most promising e-tailers, Garden.com, is shutting down operations this month because financing dried up amid the investment community's growing disfavor with dot.com retailers that have yet to turn a...

Office Depot launches second French site.(Office Depot Inc. launches officedepot.fr)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... DELRAY BEACH, FLA. -- Office Depot, the world's largest seller of office products, announced the launch of a new e-commerce Web site for its office supplies in France, officedepot.fr, making this the second French Web site for the company....

Buy.com ranked as No. 1 e-tailer.(BUY.COM Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... ALISO VIEJO, CALIF. -- Buy.com was named the No. 1 e-tailer for the first time in the latest PowerRankings by Forrester Research, surpassing Amazon.com, Best Buy and Egghead.com. Forrester surveyed 20,000 customers from The NPD Group's...

1-800-Flowers adds gifts, jewelry.(1-800-Flowers.com)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... WESTBURY, N.Y. - 1-800-Flowers.com, a leading multichannel provider of flowers and gifts, announced it has added a Specialty Boutique area to its shopping categories, offering elegant gifts and cherished collectibles from Lenox Collections...

Outpost.com ranked among Fast 500.(Deloitte and Touche Fast 500)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... KENT, CONN. -- Outpost.com, a leading global Internet retailer of high-end consumer technology products, was ranked No. 45 on the Deloitte & Touche Fast 500, a ranking of the fastest growing technology companies in North America. The rankings...

Dot.com layoffs hit record in November.(Internet employment cuts)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 11, 2000... NEW YORK -- A record number of job cuts were announced in the Internet industry in November, surpassing the 5,677 job cuts seen in October by 55%, according to a report released by recruitment firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. Since last...

OrderTrust partners with Synchrony.(OrderTrust Inc., Synchrony Communications Inc. to jointly market products)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... LOWELL, MASS. -- OrderTrust Inc. announced a strategic partnership with Synchrony Communications Inc. last month. Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will jointly market their products and services to each other's customers,...

Proxicom to build site for Black & Decker.(Proxicom Inc. to redesign and develop Black and Decker Corp. Web site)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... RESTON, VA. - Proxicom Inc. has entered into a multi-million dollar aggreement with Black & Decker to redesign and develop a new "do-it-yourself" Internet site. The site, scheduled to launch by yearend, will provide Black & Decker customers...

INSIDER TRADES.(company shares traded by company officers, directors and shareholders)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... NATIONWIDE DSN REPORT -- The following are major insider trades as reported to the SEC. STOCKS BOUGHT CSK Auto: Larry Buresh, vp, bought 10,000 shares on Oct. 10 at $4.00, now owns 40,000 shares. May Department Stores: Thomas...

Sears: another decade, another 'side'.(another turnaround expected at Sears, Roebuck and Co. under new leader)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... There are some companies in every industry that always seem to be defending their actions. No matter what announcements or changes they make, some companies simply garner more criticism than others. Every industry has a company or two that...

Technology's giant step--Backwards.(France's Minitel the forerunner of today's Internet Appliances)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... Americans have made a practice of late of borrowing technology ideas from overseas and perfecting them-take the Motorola cell phone or the 3Com Palm Pilot, arguably the best products in their respective categories. But the latest example of...

Hold the sympathy cards.(reports of the death of brick-and-mortar stores are exaggerated)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... During a visit to Europe, the great American humorist Mark Twain became ill. Soon afterward, the world was shocked by news reports that he had passed away. Twain, very much alive and no doubt amused to read of his own demise, set the record...

The store as a brand.(tips for engendering customer loyalty)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... Consumers are finicky creatures, aren't they? They want it all: excellent service, expert knowledge, vast product selection, low prices, unsurpassed quality and, most importantly, it has to look really good. It's enough to make you want to...

Retail sales tepid, yet up, in October.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 11, 2000... WASHINGTON -- Americans, feeling the pinch of higher interest rates and energy bills on their wallets, spent more selectively during the month of October. The Commerce Department reported retail sales were up 0.4%, a slowdown from a 0.7%...

On-line shopping more favorable to consumers.(than traditional shopping in stores)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... NEW YORK -- Consumers are more satisfied making retail purchases on line than they are shopping at traditional department and discount stores, according to a survey by the American Customer Satisfaction Index, a quarterly report by the...

Foreign consumers embrace e-commerce more than Americans.(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... NEW YORK -- In a study by International Data Corp., 30,000 regular on-line consumers in 26 countries were surveyed on their willingness to buy items from four different categories: books and magazines, music, electronics and clothing. ...

Last minute shoppers can boost holiday sales.(what presents people hope for around holidays)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 11, 2000... The remaining pre-holiday weeks are an ideal time to attract harried last-minute shoppers. Key to this is knowledge of what people would like to receive. Roper research offers insights--some predictable, some not--on what people want for the...

CHANGES AND CHALLENGES DEFINE CURRENT TRANSITION.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILL. -- Change is in the air yet again at Sears, as the venerable company looks to strengthen its traditional business and divest other retail segments, while pursuing new growth initiatives under the leadership of recently...

TOP-LINE SALES GROWTH NEEDED TO SATISFY SHAREHOLDERS.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 11, 2000... It's never a good sign when financial analysts resort to recommending a retailer's shares b cause they're cheap. It usually means the company in question has minimal top-line sales growth, and profits are being generated by other means....

TradeOut.com teams with eBay, ThreadeXchange.(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... Synergy seems to be the future for Internet business sites as the field consolidates, leaving only the well-positioned still standing in the digital marketplace. TradeOut.com, an on-line marketplace for surplus merchandise, has...

Dear Santa, don't forget apparel.(wish list for clothing stores)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 11, 2000... How good will the holiday season really be? Projections range from the International Mass Retail Association's conservative two percent to three percent to the National Retail Federation's more optimistic six percent. At least the...

Sears: Now it s Lacy's turn.(Alan J. Lacy of Sears, Roebuck and Co.)
December 11, 2000... Assessing future strategies for Sears--perhaps the seminal American store--will be a complicated and difficult task for Alan J. Lacy, the company's newly appointed ceo. In some significant ways the corporation can be viewed as a...

E-TAILERS FINESSE SITES AS APPAREL PROFITS HOLD PROMISE.(online shopping increasing)(Statistical Data Included)
December 11, 2000... It's no secret that whatever the season, Wall Street's favorite color is black, and not the color (rhymes with "dead") that it's seen in many dot.com ledgers the past year. Investors who threw capital around in the flush of first love with...

BLUELIGHT.COM.(information on apparel link)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... Clicking on the "Apparel" link, Kmart's site featured a "Zip up the comfort" page, with a picture of the men's vest in question. Under the subcategory "men's," a Basic Editions Reversible Fleece/Nylon vest came up. Clicking "view," users get...

TARGET.COM.(ease of use described)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... The quest for fleece came upon some sold-out items on Target.com as well, but at least the bad news was posted up front on scroll bars next to items detailing the availability of each size and color, so consumers don't waste time on...

JCPENNEY.COM.(ease of use described)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... JCPenney's "it's all inside" slogan at the upper lefthand corner of the home page is no exaggeration--there's a slew of skus. Merchandise is organized into pull-down menus. Under men's, for example, there's a laundry list of categories and...

OLDNAVY.COM.(ease of use described)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... Old Navy was big on fleece last year, but there was only one sku for a men's fleece vest this year, marked down from $19.50 to $15.00. The first color chosen was sold out, but a scroll bar lets you pick an alternative color or size. Below the...

LANDSEND.COM.(ease of use described)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... Merchandise is neatly filed; a tab on top lets shoppers go right into men's inventory. Facing a multitude of skus, we used the "Outerwear Finder" feature, which led us to a men's Polartech vest. Similar vests were featured to the right of the...

MANAGEMENT HOLDS HARD LINES MODEL AS FORMULA FOR THE FUTURE.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 11, 2000... IF Sears could ever perfect the success it has achieved in selling appliances and power tools, this retailer would be a force to be reckoned with. But while Kenmore appliances and Craftsman tools have become killer core brands for Sears,...

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... Consumer Electronics is a large component of Sears' Brand Central in all its full-line stores, and it is one hat will be more heavily emphasized going forward. However, the category has been played down over the years-as the retailer sought...

APPLIANCES.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 11, 2000... Appliances is not just the harder side of Sears, it's be rock of its business. For all of Sears' tumultuous category fluctuations, the appliances business seems to have emerged unscathed. The retailer easily claims the title of No. 1 retailer...

HARDWARE.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... The strength of the Craftsman brand has kept Sears at the top of its game in hardware, despite competitive inroads by home centers and mass retailers. Industry experts have estimated that Sears commands between 25% and 40% of the market share...

LAWN & GARDEN.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... Craftsman is not just a powerhouse tool line; it has also enjoyed success in lawn and garden, where Sears has had strong sales of outdoor power equipment. Even den is success, though, Sears' story in lawn and garden of untapped potential. ...

AUTOMOTIVES.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... The automotives category has long been a boon to Sears' business--one its new chairman, president and ceo Alan Lacy has called a positive market opportunity. But with recent setbacks, such as the Firestone tire recall earlier this summer--a...

SPORTING GOODS.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... As chairman, president and ceo Alan Lacy recently noted, Sears wants its successful appliance business to serve as a model for other merchandise categories. Sears dominates the appliance business by offering a broad assortment, knowledgeable...

APPAREL.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... Sears gets more guff about its apparel business than any other segment of its operations, so it is taking step to address the shortcomings. New store prototypes in Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Cincinnati include less men's formalwear and give...

HOME.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... Simple, easy-to-shop and flexible, Sears' domestics is among the chain's best merchandised departments, and price points ensure that it is broadly competitive in he middle of the marketplace. In fact, the simplicity of the merchandising...

HOME GOODS CONCEPT ANCHORS MULTI-FORMAT STRATEGY.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... The Great Indoors is Sears' feel-good concept. In recent years, while the company has been on and off with enthusiasm for its various specialty concepts, The Great Indoors seems to be one idea it is eager to bankroll generously. A...

E-COMMERCE EFFORT LEVERAGES CORE STRENGTHS.(Sears Online)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... Many leading companies lay claim to a dedicated effort in bricks-and-clicks retailing, but at Sears Online it is truly a top priority. Since Sears Online launched-an-information Web page (Sears.com) in 1996, great progress has been made in...

NAME RECOGNITION FORMS CORE OF MARKETING MISSION.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.)
December 11, 2000... Branding at Sears encompasses interrelated portfolios: retail and product. On the retail side, Sears has its flagship store and a variety of specialty concepts, including the home goods format called The Great Indoors and its Tool Territory...

RETAIL IPO SCOREBOARD.(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

MAJOR INDICES.(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

TOP GAINERS.(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

EARNINGS DIGEST.(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

DSN RETAILING TODAY STOCK ANALYSIS.(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

Company to focus on closeouts exclusively.(Consolidated)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2000... COLUMBUS, OHIO -- As Consolidated advances its efforts to divest its toy business, the company moves one giant step closer to streamlining its business operation and improving operating margins. Assuming a purchase agreement is reached,...

DSN CHARTS: November sales.
December 11, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]