DSN Retailing Today articles from October 2000

DSN Retailing Today archives from October 2000

Kmart repositions, puts MSE Kitchen at core.(Martha Stewart Everyday Kitchen products)
October 23, 2000... NEW YORE -- The introduction of Martha Stewart Everyday Kitchen at Kmart accomplishes two strokes in one. While it extends the company's successful home goods initiative to a segment ideally suited to Martha products, it also marks a distinct...

Target initiatives call for stepped-up SuperT program.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... ATLANTA, GA. -- Target showed off its SuperTarget format, unveiled new merchandising initiatives, outlined operational improvements and discussed future growth last month when it hosted its annual analysts meeting. Eleven days later on...

Costco to bridge coastal presence with aggressive 3-year plan.(Costco Wholesale Corp.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... ISSAQUAH, WASH. -- Costco Wholesale Corp. has long been known for its "Coastal" market presence, building up locations along both seaboards. But ever since its success in the Atlanta market in 1996, the Issaquah, Wash., warehouse club has...

RadioShack, Best Buy beef up broadband service offerings.(RadioShack Corp. markets Microsoft Corp.'s digital subscriber line service; Best Buy Company Inc. links with AT and T Broadband L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... High-speed Internet access is considered to be the golden egg for CE retailers, spurring sales of both products and services as the booming digital-product cycle continues. In recent weeks, two major retail chains unveiled programs to further...

Sears integrates bricks and clicks.(home repair and improvement services online)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILL. -- Sears has expanded the capability of its Web site by allowing customers to schedule service and repair work on line. Customers can schedule appointments with Sears Home-Central service technicians by placing requests...

AutoZone ceo resigns, search begins.(John Adams)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... MEMPHIS, TENN. -- AutoZone chairman and ceo John Adams announced his resignation from the helm of the nation's No.1 Automotive aftermarket retailer last month. No immediate successor has been named, and Adams will not step down until one is...

Dollar Tree plans to upgrade technology.(Dollar Tree Stores Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... CHESAPEAKE, VA. -- The 1,600-store Dollar Tree chain said it will install an estimated 15,000 NCR brand point-of-sale terminals in its stores by December 2004. Dollar Tree also plans to install NCR desktop computers in its stores for...

ShopKo revises outlook, tones down expansion.(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... GREEN BAY, WIS. -- ShopKo Inc. put the brakes on its growth plans for the immediate future earlier this month, revised its earnings outlook for the year and outlined a four-part initiative to ride out the current economic malaise. During...

Pamida converts 48 Places, opens 8.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... MISSOURI VALLEY, IOWA. -- On Oct. 5, Pamida grand-opened 56 stores, a grand gesture for a company now facing a stalled expansion program. This slew of store openings included 48 former P.M. Places stores and eight new units in the company's...

Wal-Mart wows with growth plan.(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... BENTONVILLE, ARK. -- Competitive pressure from WalMart will intensify further in 2001 as the world's largest retailer spends an unprecedented $8.5 billion building new stores and adding distribution center capacity. On tap for the fiscal...

Retailers ramp up employee perks.(various retailers' efforts to retain and hire employees)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... Several years of record low unemployment and a strong economy have retailers turning to increasingly creative and lucrative employee retention and recruitment efforts. One of the highest profiles of these measures was Wal-greens' announcement...

Family Dollar reset begins to reap rewards.(Family Dollar Discount Stores Inc. posts quarterly results)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... MATTHEWS, N.C. -- As Family Dollar winds down a six-month store reset program this month, the retailer is already noticing positive results of its heavier emphasis on hard lines. Quarterly results for the period ended Aug. 26, 2000,...

Domestics Week offers glimpse of looks and licenses to come.(home furnishings, household linens exposition)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... NEW YORK -- Dots were hot, youth was couth and flexibility was saleability at Domestics Week--all this in an autumn show where vendors tried to demonstrate that they could be as many things as possible to retailers. Rather than lead with...

Annual AAIA show to present new name, format, agenda.(AAPEX 2000 (Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association) Expo will be held in Las Vegas , Nevada)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... LAS VEGAS -- Halloween will get off to a bang this year for some 85,000 automotive aftermarket industry followers who will descend upon the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas Oct. 31 to Nov. 3 to attend AAPEX 2000 (formerly the MEMA/AAIA Show)....

TSA completes buying department realignment with Kerbis hire.(Sports Authority Inc. names Elliott Kerbis executive vice president-merchandising)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... FORT LAUDERDALE -- The mid-October hiring of Elliot Kerbis as executive vp of merchandising and sales promotion at The Sports Authority completes a reorganization of the retailer's buying department that began two years ago. Kerbis was...

Galyan's taps outsider for ceo job.(Robert Mang named chairman and chief executive officer, Galyan's Trading Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... PLAINFIELD, ILL. -- A new senior management structure is in place at Galyan's Trading Company as the 21 store sporting goods chain named Robert Mang chairman and ceo. He most recently served as president and ceo at Broadway Southwest,...

Oshman's growth is accelerating.(Oshman's Sporing Goods Inc. opens Louisiana store)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... HOUSTON -- Oshman's Sporting Goods has announced a late November opening of a 46,OOO-sq.-ft. superstore in New Orleans. This will give the retailer a total of 58 stores. In August, the company opened a new store in the Woodlands area of...

Office superstores scale back openings.(Office Depot Inc., OfficeMax Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... DELRAY BEACH, FLA. AND SHAKER HEIGHTS, OHIO -- Office Depot and OfficeMax will hit the low end of this year's previously stated store expansion plans. Office Depot had indicated early in its fiscal year that it would open 125 stores. This...

PriceSmart continues island hop.(PriceSmart Inc. opens store in Dominican Republic)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... SAN DIEGO -- Rapidly expanding throughout Central America and the Caribbean basin, a new PriceSmart store in the Dominican Republic represents the retailer's 15 store opening m an 18-month period. The company only operates 17 membership clubs...

AutoZone names new head merchant.(AutoZone Inc., Brett Easley)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... MEMPHIS, TENN. -- Sixteen-year AutoZone veteran Brett Easley was named senior vp of merchandising and customer satisfaction for the nearly 3,000-store chain. Easley will retain his previous responsibilities as chief content officer and...

Goody's looks to rebound with new executive structure.(Goody's Family Clothing Inc., names Lana Cain Krauter president)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... KNOXVILLE, TENK. -- Goody's Family Clothing recently bestowed head merchant responsibilities on Lana Cain Krauter. She already serves as president and special assistant to Goody's chairman and ceo Robert Goodfriend. Reporting to Krauter are...

Pundits still bullish over on-line holiday sales.(Pricewaterhouse Coopers L.L.P., Jupiter Communications L.L.C. offer holiday season Internet sales forecasts)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... NATIONWIDE DSN REPORT -- Amid a host of doom and gloom outlooks for the retail sector this holiday season, the only area where significant growth is predicted is in Internet shopping, which may reach as much as $12 billion. On-line sales...

Tech toys attract attention as hot items for holiday 2000.(ten toys that are expected to drive Holiday 2000 retail sales)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... NATIONWIDE DSN REPORT -- It's no secret that Holiday 2000 will have a tough time measuring up to the optimal retail environment of last year, but that shouldn't keep parents and grandparents from scrambling, both on line and off, to get their...

INSIDER TRADES.(sales of company shares by company officers and directors)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... NATIONWIDE DSN REPORT -- The following are major insider trades as reported to the SEC. STOCKS BOUGHT Circuit City: Mikael Salovaara, director, bought 10,000 shares on Aug. 3 at $23.39, now owns 10,000 shares. Good Guys: Joseph...

Grand Union's sad lessons.(Grand Union Co. unable to overcome industry trends)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... The saga of Grand Union, one of the troubled supermarket chains in the Northeast, is a classic example of a venerable company deeply entrenched in tradition that simply didn't embrace change. Or to borrow a saying, it's a chain that basically...

E-tailing 101--post Internet fever.(internet retailing to see possible decline)(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
October 23, 2000... Twelve months in Internet retailing time is a virtual eternity. Since this time last year, players have come and gone, deals have been made and broken, and some of the best laid plans were hatched--only to run out of steam before they ever...

Minimum wages vs. maximum job opportunities.(Brief Article)(Column)
October 23, 2000... One of the problems with establishing and enforcing a national minimum wage is that it effectively tells employers: "If you can't afford to hire a worker at $X per hour, you can't afford to hire that individual at all." Inevitably, some...

B2B exchange: the next step in an evolving marketplace.(business to business, WorldWide Retail Exchange)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... Today's retail industry is ever changing. The rise of e-commerce three years ago challenged traditional storefront retailing and forced bricks-and-mortar retailers to redefine their relationships with consumers. Now, yet another...

Consumer confidence on the rise.(September)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... NEW YORK -- Consumer confidence rose more strongly than expected in September, which could bode well for holiday retail sales. The New York-based conference board said its Consumer Confidence Index stands at 141.9, up slightly from the...

Pricing errors pinch Amazon.(Amazon.com Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... SEATTLE -- In the space of two weeks, on-line retailer Amazon.com has been forced to apologize, issue refunds and appease angry customers after being found to have charged people higher prices than others for the same merchandise. With...

Internet presents opportunity, not threat, to auto dealers.(Brief Article)(Polling Data)(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... PARIS -- More than 80% of care-buyers are satisfied buying cars through the dealership network, according to a survey conducted by Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, one of the largest management and IT consulting firms in the world. The overriding...

Retail report cites challenges currently facing industry.(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... The retail sector is in a funk. Sales are anything but stellar, earnings forecasts are being revised left and right, and the long-term outlook for the mass channel does not look promising. In fact, according to a Fitch, Bica, Duff & Phelps...

Dream homes offer window to home-furnishing sales.(Brief Article)(Polling Data)(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... Whether people are describing their current home or their dream home, "comfort" is still the main quality people are looking for. Nearly two thirds (64%) describe their present home as comfortable, while more than half (56%) see it as an...

Key retail executives address thorny problem of returns.(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... In retail, there is no such thing as happy returns, so it's fortunate that just as logistical operations are becoming more complicated, systems are developing to ensure that reverse logistics don't ruin anybody's party. At a meeting of...

Study of store returns yields useful information for retailers.(stay at home mom aggressively returns merchandise)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... She may be sweet, nurturing and bake the best cookies, but the stay-at-home mom is a retailer's returns nightmare. According to focus-group research projects conducted by the Reverse Logistics Executive Council and the University of...

The name game: chapter and verse.(brand marketing)(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... Despite a multitude of choices available at retail, brand loyalty remains high with most consumers. More than half of shoppers have a brand preference in nearly every product category, from Beverages to Apparel, according to the results of...

The hallmarks of familiarity.(brand marketing)
October 23, 2000... A powerful brand is a trusted friend. In most cases, it's a name with a long heritage of consistently delivering products that satisfy a unique promise to consumers of all types. But staying at the top requires innovation, slick marketing and...

The alternative formula for retail.(brand marketing)(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... Top brands among proprietary labels have a slightly different path to success than those produced by independent vendors because they not only have to deliver sales, but also support a retailer's strategic initiatives. And yet this unorthodox...

The growing consumer option.(private brands)(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... Consumers have embraced private labels across many product categories, roving that store brands have garnered enough regard to escape dependency on price as the unique, critical selling point. In fact, consumers have shown a willingness...

The challenge of garnering loyalty.(survey of brand loyalty in several categories)(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... The accepted wisdom among many retailers and suppliers these days is that consumers have no brand loyalty. In reality though, there is much evidence to the contrary. In this year's DSN Retailing Today Top Brands study, the figures...

Remarking the American dreamhouse continues.(housewares and furnishings continue to develop)(Industry Overview)
October 23, 2000... Specialty housewares stores have soared to the top of the retail market because more and more Americans are spending their time at home, for work and leisure. When William Levitt pioneered suburb development after World War II, he would...

Consumer Options.(apparel retailers need to use various channels to attract consumers)(Brief Article)(Column)(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... Do you ever wish that running your apparel business was more simple? Pine for the "good old days?" Well forget it. Attracting consumers has never been more competitive, and it is the shopper--not manufacturer, retailer or...

Sports On Line.(tennis and gym enthusiasts have highest level of Internet use among sports participants)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... Want to capture the attention of tennis players, or folks who work out in a club? The Web might be your marketing answer. According to a recent study conducted by the National Sporting Goods Association, tennis enthusiasts and gym users...

Sapienza, Walter honored by TFA.(Kmart Corp.'s Cindy Sapienza and Sears Roebuck and Co.'s Ken Walter to get awards from The Fashion Association)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... Kmart's Cindy Sapienza and Sears' Ken Walter are among those being honored with American Image Awards by The Fashion Association. Sapienza, vice president, divisional merchandise manager for women's wear and Walter, vice president,...

Bert Pulitzer licensed to Jade Eastern Trading.(Bert Pulitzer label shirts to be made by Jade Eastern Trading Inc. under license from Global Licensing Co.)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... Global Licensing Co. has licensed Jade Eastern Trading Inc. to produce and market dress and tuxedo shirts under the Bert Pulitzer label for the U.S. domestic market. With corporate offices in New Jersey, Eastern owns production and...

Brands smell sweet to apparel shoppers.(brand names are important)(Brief Article)(Column)(Industry Overview)(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... "What's in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other name would smell as sweet" In "Romeo and Juliet" Will Shakespeare certainly touched on some truths about human relationships, and perhaps flowers. But when it comes to marketing...

Spicing up intimate environments.(efforts to better market intimate apparel, by retailers and manufacturers)(Industry Overview)
October 23, 2000... Lori Smith of Bridgewater, N.J., is typically a Lord & Taylor or Macy's intimate apparel customer. Recently, however, she visited the Manville, N.J., Wal-Mart to pick up some bras and panties. "I was so confused and had trouble finding a bra...

Hanes[R]: The Consumer's No.1 Choice.(in a variety of apparel categories)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... The strength of the Hanes and Hanes Her Way brand strategy, dedicated to producing the best value in contemporary clothing for men, women and children, was confirmed by consumers in a recently released study conducted this summer for DSN...

Men's Underwear.(Hanes introduces 'Special Collection' of premium underwear)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... Hanes is making news with its "Special Collection" of premium underwear, featuring "Supersoft" ringspun cotton in a full range of basic styles. Look for stylish updates in our boxers and boxer briefs, and leverage the fastest growing segment...

Intimates.(new offerings include stretch fabrics)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... The news is stretch! Stretch products continue to drive the growth of the intimate apparel category, with growth nearly doubling in the past year. Coordinating stretch bras and panties are now available in a range of fabrics.

Shoes.(Hanes now offers casual and sporty shoes)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... Hanes now offers armfuls of casual and sporty shoes to complete today's relaxed looks.

Socks.(Hanes pushes sales of socks)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... Through its brand strength, Hanes has helped grow the sock category at mass, and continues to strengthen its distribution base, now with girls socks.

Hanes Baby.(Hanes offers clothes in baby sizes)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... All the quality and comfort consumers expect from Hanes now comes in baby sizes.

Hanes for the Home[TM].(Hanes now offers sheets and towels)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... Look for the Hanes line of sheets and towels in a range of contemporary looks.

Keeping the options open.(stocking up on variety of fashions for teens)
October 23, 2000... A dolescence is a period of rapid developmental change. Youths of this age often experiment with lifestyles and philosophical points of view. Their possessions, in many cases reflect their search. So it is perhaps appropriate that next...

Christmas on the Web.(online shopping increases in 2000)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 23, 2000... Never mind last year's holiday chaos caused by delivery problems and a lack of sales support. Christmas 2000 will see on-line consumer spending increase by as much as 100 percent as shoppers continue to play computer Santa. According to...

RetailExchange.com secures new financing.(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... Venture capital may be drying up for some dot.com businesses, but at least one on-line apparel exchange has recently managed to garner millions in new financing. RetailExchange.com has secured an additional $25 million in financing. This...

ENFASHION names president and ceo.(Sheree Waterson )(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... Sheree Waterson has been named president and chief executive officer of ENFASHION. The company, based in Silicon Valley, develops Internet technology for the apparel Industry. Prior to joining ENFASHION, Waterson was vice president of...

Is time on mass retailers side?(children's clothing fashion quick to change)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... With fashion continuing to drive the children's apparel market, industry players are attempting to work more quickly and efficiently to make sure they have the right looks on the floor at the right time. "Where in the past there may have...

Retailers ride western trend.(hats becoming popular in 2001)(Brief Article)
October 23, 2000... Just when retailers were striking out with baseball caps, cowboy hats rode into town to lasso business. Caps still represent significant sales, but incremental fashion is expected to bring increases in the headwear category. "We tried a...

DSN CHARTS: September sales.
October 23, 2000... [TABL HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

RETAIL IPO SCOREBOARD.
October 23, 2000... [TABL HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

MAJOR INDICES.
October 23, 2000... [TABL HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

TOP GAINERS & LOSERS.
October 23, 2000... [TABL HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

EARNINGS DIGEST.
October 23, 2000... [TABL HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

DSN RETAILING TODAY STOCK ANALYSIS.
October 23, 2000... [TABL HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

Best Buy enters cut-throat New York metro area.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2000... NEW YORK -- Best Buy unveiled its first wave of stores in the New York tri-state area 10 days ago in conjunction with a multi-million dollar marketing effort as it gears up to conquer the largest consumer market in the United States. The...

Analysts to convene over WMT outlook.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2000... BENTONVILLE, ARK. -- Wal-Mart's German operations are unprofitable, its Web strategy isn't clear and the retail industry is heading into a holiday season where the outlook for consumer spending is uncertain. For those who track Wal-Mart's...

Costco expands to heartland, where competition reigns.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2000... PLANO AND FORT WORTH, TEXAS--The Costco Wholesale Corp. expanded its presence into yet another major market last month, this time venturing into longtime Sam's Club territory in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The simultaneous openings of...

PlayStation 2: biggest hardware launch ever?(Brief Article)
October 2, 2000... NATIONWIDE DSN REPORT -- PlayStation 2, the most highly anticipated new product launch of the year, is preparing to meet the market--and the gaming world is all abuzz. But the expected hype surrounding the launch on Oct. 26 is practically...

Retailers ride ISP bandwagon in search of spike in traffic.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2000... Hoping to attract mainstream American shoppers to the Internet, leading retailers and on-line media companies are teaming up to deliver free Internet service to the growing number of Web surfers searching for an alternative to paid network...

Executive vp and coo Day resigns from Sears.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2000... Sears executive vp and coo Julian Day resigned from the company late Friday, one week after Alan Lacy was named to succeed Arthur Martinez as president and ceo of the $40 billion retailer. Day joined Sears in March 1999 as executive vp and...

Kmart continues to make executive moves.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2000... TROY, MICH. -- Kmart Corporation has announced a series of additional executive moves within the company to strengthen the merchandise replenishment and financial planning functions. Mark Glover has been promoted to vp of merchandise...

Asda purchases 48 pharmacy contracts.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2000... BENTONVILLE, ARK. -- Asda has purchased 48 NHS pharmacy contracts from Alliance UniChem plc, ensuring almost a third of its stores from Edinburgh to Eastleigh will have access to pharmacies run by the superstore and will transfer to Asda by...

Eckerd names new chairman and ceo.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2000... JCPenney Company Inc. appointed Wayne Harris to the position of chairman and ceo of Eckerd Corporation; the appointment was scheduled to become effective October 1. Harris will be responsible for providing strategic leadership, vision,...

Correction.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)(Statistical Data Included)
October 2, 2000... A chart in the Sept. 18 issue of DSN Retailing Today misstated the August comp store sales for Family Dollar Stores. The correct figure is 9.2%.

Lacy identifies agenda as new ceo of Sears.(Alan Lacy )(Brief Article)
October 2, 2000... HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILL -- As Alan Lacy takes over as Sears' thirteenth chairman, president and ceo, the 46-year old finance guru will have his hands full as he faces the challenge of rekindling the company's pioneering spirit in pursuit of...

HomePlace is healthy post-Waccamaw merger.
October 2, 2000... MYRTLE BEACH S.C. -- It isn't easy to determine how a privately held company is doing in the wake of a merger. But HomePlace of America has had a number of positives in the year 2000 that suggest the merger of their company and Waccamaw has...

Ames breezes into Windy City.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2000... CHICAGO -- Ames blew into the Chicagoland late last month with four stores in the Windy City proper and four in the nearby suburbs, establishing a presence in the company's newest urban market. The four Chicago stores were acquired in a...

Ace trots out latest example of home goods hybrid store.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2000... HIGHLANDS RANCH, COLO. -- One wouldn't expect a mother with children in tow to be shopping Ace Hardware for candles, champagne glasses and stylish frames, but such instances are common at the new Ace Solutions Concept Store, which blurs the...

Party stores show signs of life.(party goods superstore operators )(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 2, 2000... NATIONWIDE DSN REPORT -- The extended string of bad news from party goods superstore operators has subsided. Although prospects for various companies remain uncertain, recent developments are promising. The retail segment's largest...

Retailers attribute success to out-of-box innovations.(Center for Retailing Studies of Texas A&M University sponsors conference)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2000... DALLAS -- Retailers that put customer service first and aren't afraid to rock the boat when change is needed, as well as create positive working environments for associates, will succeed. This was the consensus of retail executives who spoke...

Michaels touts growth, spells out expansion plan.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2000... IRVING, TEXAS -- Coming off its best year yet, Michaels Stores intends to push itself even higher in financial performance with a solidly developed strategy involving aggressive store expansion, new growth vehicles and improvements in store...

Michaels' site an adjunct to store.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2000... About the same time the chain began selling 16,000 art prints and posters on line, space in most of its 600 stores was reallocated to bolster several high-growth test categories--wedding supplies, candles, memory book accessories and...