Retailing Today articles from May 2008

Retailing Today archives from May 2008

New store concept at heart of Blockbuster/Circuit City deal.
May 26, 2008... DALLAS -- Blockbuster Entertainment provided more detail on its vision of a merger with Circuit City, saying new stores would be more interactive and engaging for customers and feature elements of Blockbuster's 'Rock the Block' concept...

Thinking global. Competing local: two of retailing's toughest competitors take their convenience store battle to Vegas.(Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Inc.)
May 26, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FRESH & EASY NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET LAS VEGAS -- When Tesco and Wal-Mart are neighbors, who wins? That depends upon what you mean by "win." Tesco's Fresh & Easy and Wal-Mart's Neighborhood Market are just...

Tesco U.S. rethinks merchandising.
May 26, 2008... EL SEGUNDO, CALIF. -- Tesco Fresh & Easy is tweaking both its look and product mix during a self-imposed break on expansion. Changes include an expanded line of private label products and new signage in stores. The most dramatic change...

JCPenney 1Q earnings up, sales down.(MARKET WATCH)(JCPenney Company Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... PLANO, TEXAS -- JCPenney reported earnings per share from continuing operations of 54 cents for the first quarter ended May 3, compared to $1.04 in last year's first quarter. Net income for the quarter decreased 49.6% to $120 million. During...

Top gainers: for 2 weeks ended 5/9/07.
May 26, 2008... TOP GAINERS For 2 weeks ended 5/9/07 Duckwall-ALCO 24.75% Jo-Ann Stores 11.70 Longs Drug Stores 10.04 Hibbet Sports 5.68 Dell Inc. 5.43

Top losers: for 2 weeks ended 5/9/07.
May 26, 2008... TOP LOSERS For 2 weeks ended 5/9/07 Trans World Entertainment (35.89%) Belk Inc. (23.57) Pacific Sunwear (21.28) Stage Stores (14.66) Rite Aid (11.11)

Major indices.(Statistical table)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... MAJOR INDICES Close Close Net % 1/17/07 1/31/07 Change Change New York Stock Exchange (NYA) 9285.86 9437.45 151.59 1.63% Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) 12831.45 12898.38 ...

Stocks bought.(INSIDER TRADES)(Trans World Airlines Inc.)(Cabela's Inc.)(Safeway Inc.)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... SAFEWAY: Frank Herringer, director, bought 5,000 shares on May 12 at $30.97 now owns 5,000 shares. TRANS WORLD: Bryant Riley, officer, bought 1,600 shares on May 12 at $2.40, now owns 1,948,601 shares. CABELA'S: Theodore Armstrong,...

Stocks sold.(INSIDER TRADES)(Publix)(Safeway Inc.)(Tractor Supply Co. )(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... PUBLIX: Laurie Douglas, director, sold 2,161 shares on May 2 at $19.45, now owns 10,500 shares. SAFEWAY: David Stern, director, sold 9,000 shares on May 1 at $31.64, now owns 10,364 shares. TRACTOR SUPPLY: Gerard Jones, officer, sold...

Wal-Mart solidifying claim as health leader.
May 26, 2008... BENTONVILLE, ARK. -- No retailer has felt the impact of rising health care costs in recent years more than WalMart. With more than 1 million employees in the United States alone, Wal-Mart's cost structure was impacted by the twin forces of...

Company ideally positioned in current economic climate.(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)
May 26, 2008... BENTONVILLE, ARK. -- Wal-Mart's annual shareholders meetings tend to be festive affairs where the company treats the thousands of employees who descend upon Fayetteville, Ark., from around the world to entertaining performances from...

Linens 'N Things readies for spring cleaning.(bankruptcy protection )
May 26, 2008... CLIFTON, NO. -- After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 1, Linens Holding Co. notified the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 13 that it would delay filing its 10-Q report for the first financial quarter. The company,...

Dabah gets go-ahead for buyout proposal.(Ezra Dabah)(Children's Place Retail Stores Inc.)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... SECAUCUS, N.J. -- The Children's Place has agreed to allow former ceo Ezra Dabah to work on a proposal to acquire the company with a private equity firm. Dabah stated in February that he wanted to buy The Children's Place for about $578...

WMT site promotes 'save money' mantra.(www.walmart.com/savemore.com)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... BENTONVILLE, ARK. -- Wal-Mart has launched a new site, www.walmart.com/savemore, that features financial tips and advice from Ellie Kay, "America's Family Financial Expert" and author of 11 books. The site also features a spending quiz to...

Apple ventures into Beantown's back bay.(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... BOSTON -- Boston's Boylston Street is the new home of the largest Apple store in the United States and the second largest in the world (the largest is located on Regent Street in London). The approximately 20,000-square-foot store, which...

Under Armour shoe entry has competitors on their guard.(SPORTING GOODS UPDATE)(Under Armour Performance Apparel expects about $45 million in wholesale sales with its new category offering )
May 26, 2008... BALTIMORE -- The countdown has struck 00:00:00 as the long awaited debut of Under Armour's first shoe penetrated the athletic footwear market. The New Prototype is here. With its slogan, "The future is ours," Under Armour has stepped...

Greener lawns coming from 'green' products.
May 26, 2008... LAS VEGAS -- Sales of energy efficient and coo-friendly products should lead home improvement retailers out of the doldrums this year toward a recovery in early 2009. Or at least that was the scenario laid out this month at the National...

Lifestyle considerations making houseware hot commodity.
May 26, 2008... LAS VEGAS -- As housewares becomes more about lifestyle, form has begun to creep up on function as a factor in making a product attractive. Today's homebody, who is relaxing and entertaining at the domicile, is more intent on creating the...

Move over Fred! Barneys is Target's new pal.(Target Corp. partners with Barney's Inc.)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] NEW YORK Somewhere between Prada and Mare Jacobs, Target has carved out a niche with its limited-time collection, Rogan for Target GO International line by American designer Rogan Gregory. Target partnered...

Supermarket supremacy continues to slip in food retailing.
May 26, 2008... LAS VEGAS -- Long-term and recent trends are shaking up food retailing to the extent that the market could be going through its most significant realignment since the supermarket's invention more than half a century ago. The FMI Show, held...

Will green fade to gray?(ONLINE POLL RESULTS)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... (Poll results collected from April 28 to May 15) Q: HOW SUSTAINABLE IS SUSTAINABILITY--AND WILL GREENWASHING KILL THE GREEN MOVEMENT? 33% There is a genuine retailer and consumer interest in sustaining the environment. ...

HIRI: home market will rebound in 2009.(Home Improvement Research Institute)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... NEW YORK -- A leading research firm says home improvement retailers should expect sales to jump 3% in 2009 as the housing industry finally begins to recover. But until then, they're going to have to rough it for several more months. The...

Sial: differentiation requires innovation--and a passport.(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... MONTREAL -- If retailers really are to differentiate themselves, they have to move beyond the usual paths and trod new routes to fresh revelations. Take, for example, What a Pizza! The Toronto company provides retailers and anyone else...

The promotional bloodbath is nigh!(Off The Cuff)
May 26, 2008... Ouch! It is painful out there in the retail world. And that's coming from a guy who likes to see the glass half full. It only takes one glance at recent retail earnings reports to comprehend how tough things have become. Once-high-flying...

Readers speak out.(Talk Back)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... HOW SUSTAINABLE IS SUSTAINABILITY--AND WILL GREENWASHING KILL THE GREEN MOVEMENT? Based on responses collected 4/28 through 5/15 "Only time will tell-something we don't have much of these days."-Anonymous "Although it is a...

Upcoming industry events.(Noteworthy)(Conference news)
May 26, 2008... * 2008 GM Conference: May 30-June 3, Orlando World Center Marriott, Orlando, Ra, http://www.gmdc.org * Licensing International Expo: June 10-12, Jacob Javits Convention Center, NewYork City http://www.licensingexpo.com

Dick's Sporting Goods.(RETAILER NEWS)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Dick's Sporting Goods has announced that it will be the official sporting goods retailer for Little League Baseball and Softball. The sponsorship will give Dick's an opportunity to work directly with leagues and coaches, as well as provide...

Finish Line has partnered with Nike on a new store concept, Finish Line Ltd.(RETAILER NEWS)
May 26, 2008... Finish Line has partnered with Nike on a new store concept, Finish Line Ltd. The store will be located near Phoenix and will feature an exclusive assortment of Nike footwear aimed at young running and training athletes. In order to fit in...

Cabela.(RETAILER NEWS)(sales and earnings of Cabela's Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Cabela's posted a 15.9% increase in net revenue to $535.5 million, versus $462.1 million in 2007, for its first quarter ended March 29. Net income for the quarter increased 39.4% to $10 million, or 15 cents per diluted share, compared to $7.1...

UV protection.(WHAT'S HOT)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... The sun is hot, but sunburn is not. Everyone knows that a good dose of sunscreen will do the body good, but as the athletic and outdoorsy types will tell you, creams, sweat and water are not the best combination for all-day protection. ...

Golf equipment sales on the lookout for greener pastures.(SPORTING GOODS UPDATE)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... According to the National Golf Foundation, in the United States, March rounds played declined by 9.9%, which drops year-to-date rounds played by 3.5%. It is important to note, however, that only about 12% of annual rounds occur between...

Tool for your fuel.(ACCESSORIES)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Any athlete knows that playing hard leads to sweating hard and that replenishing the body's water supply should be a no brainer. But at a time when green living and plastic bashing are prevalent, consumers may want to rethink how they store...

Austin, Texas--whole Foods Market continues to open stores, even as it absorbs Wild Oats.(IN THE MIX)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... AUSTIN, TEXAS -- Whole Foods Market continues to open stores, even as it absorbs Wild Oats. In the second quarter, it opened units in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Glastonbury, Conn., as well as Tanasbourne, Ore., since the quarter ended on April...

Plano, Texas--Cadbury Schweppes has spun off its Americas Beverages business as the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group.(IN THE MIX)
May 26, 2008... PLANO, TEXAS--Cadbury Schweppes has spun off its Americas Beverages business as the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, which will own and operate the company's beverage business in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. The company's...

Kroger eyes share gains despite economy woes.
May 26, 2008... Kroger's gains in recent years can be viewed a number of ways: by sales; by the expansion of new concepts; and by expansion of its merchandising range, especially as regards its incursions into private label and general merchandise. However,...

The 'Fresh' look: Tesco touts covenience, as Wal-Mart pushes restaurants.(IN THE NEWS)(Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Inc.)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... EL SEGUNDO, CALIF. -- Tesco wants to inject some relevancy into Fresh & Easy, but, as the British retailer takes strides toward making its stores in the United States more germane to American consumers, a newspaper in London is reporting that...

Organic remains under wellness umbrella.(SPECIAL REPORT)(conumers preference for organic foods)
May 26, 2008... Within the past couple of years, the organic movement has been overtaken and absorbed by a larger issue, sustainability, and even that has been gobbled up by the even bigger issue of wellness. Consumers still are interested in organics, but...

Blu-ray sales flat despite winning format war.(ELECTRONICS UPDATE)
May 26, 2008... The demise of HD-DVD was supposed to open the door for Blu-ray, but that hasn t been the case as sales of stand-alone players have ground to a standstill. According to The NPD Group, sales of Blu-ray high-definition DVD players rose just...

Best Buy has acquired a 50% interest in its United Kingdom-based business partner Carphone Warehouse in a deal worth $2.1 billion.(RETAILER NEWS)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Best Buy has acquired a 50% interest in its United Kingdom-based business partner Carphone Warehouse in a deal worth $2.1 billion. Carphone Warehouse operates over 2,400 cell phone stores in nine countries and will keep its name while Best...

Kodak.(VENDOR NEWS)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Kodak is now selling digital picture frames with picture cards preloaded with up to 100 favorite photos. The frames can be ordered on the Kodak Gallery online photo service where buyers can select the photos they want loaded onto a card and...

Paramount, Universal unveil new high-def DVD titles.(ELECTRONIC UPDATE)(Universal Studios Home Video)(Paramount Home Entertainment)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Universal Studios Home Video and Paramount Home Entertainment will join the Blu-ray camp this summer when they roll out their first new releases day-and-date on standard DVD and the high-definition format. Paramount officially entered the...

Protection.(ACCESSORIES)(waterproofing)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... The start of summer is always marked by the debut of new carrying cases to protect electronic gadgets from the elements. Several new additions are now in stores. Otter Box has rolled out its Otter Box 1990 line of waterproof cases,...

Disney digital.(WHAT'S HOT)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Disney will expand its line of consumer electronics for children this year with a digital camera tough enough to handle the rigors of preschool kids. The Disney Pix. Jr. digital camera will feature rubber-coated edges and three different...

Supermarkets & supercenters: can they really coexist?(CATCHING UP WITH Kroger)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)(Kroger Co.)
May 26, 2008... Occasionally, competition in food retailing is symbolized as a clash between Kroger and Wal-Mart--the traditional supermarket giant and the alternative juggernaut; the food specialist and the retail specialist. Yet, what if Kroger really...

Macy's reinvents classics for men's closets.(MEN'S WEAR UPDATE)
May 26, 2008... Men's fashion is something of an enigma at times. At first glance, it seems simple--just don pants, a button-down shirt and a matching tie and the look is work-ready. Swap the tie for a sweater and it's casual. The formula is safe, but also a...

Kicks with color.(ACCESSORIES)(sneakers)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Ever since James Dean gave sneakers his stamp of approval in the 1950s, the trend of wearing athletic shoes as a fashion statement has evolved into an iconic staple of men's closets. Although Nike has been king in rolling out new styles,...

Styles getting more intimate in men's undergarments.(MEN'S WEAR UPDATE)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... As fashion leans toward fitted silhouettes, men are paying more attention to what they wear under their pants. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] According to The NPD Group, the dollar volume sales for men's underwear reached almost $1.8 billion...

Kmart.(RETAILER NEWS)(Kmart Holding Corp.)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Kmart's young men's department next month will be introducing 'Boarding,' an exclusive label based on skater and surfer-inspired styles that will include boardshorts, T-shirts with gothic and beach themes and polos. The line is set to roll...

K&G Fashion Superstores.(EXECUTIVE NEWS)(Mary Beth Blake)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Mary Beth Blake has been named the new chief merchandising officer for K&G Fashion Superstores, the discount superstore concept for Men's Wearhouse. Blake previously served as senior vp and gmm for the men's and children's departments of...

Who wears short shorts?(WHAT'S HOT)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Turns out everyone does. It may appear that shorts are one of the staples of summer wardrobes for the weekend, but as higher-end fashions have demonstrated, shorts play a critical role in styling. This season, bulky cargo pockets, pleats and...

Penney's aims for chic-yet-classic with new line.(HOME DECOR UPDATE)(J.C. Penney Corporation Inc.)
May 26, 2008... JC Penney's introduction of Linden Street fills out a home offering that already included modern and traditional styles. Linden Street is designed in a mode dubbed "neo-traditionalist" by the company--not quite contemporary, but with the kind...

Style for the times.(ACCESSORIES)(Home furnishings)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... With retailers taking a more sophisticated and more proprietary approach to their home furnishings businesses, branded product vendors have been put on the spot. To keep their business, they have to be more in tune with both consumer and...

New Iconix campaign shrouds Shields fam in 'Royal Velvet'.(HOME DECOR UPDATE)(Brooke Shields)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... A home furnishings specialist is getting into bed with Brooke Shields. It's all innocent, of course, at least to the extent that she s merely become the spokesperson for a Royal Velvet marketing campaign, one that Iconix is launching to...

Linens Holding Co.(RETAILER NEWS)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Linens Holding Co. said it had received approval of its first-day motions at a hearing earlier this month before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The retailer was granted interim approval for access to its $700...

Tuesday Morning Corp.(EXECUTIVE NEWS)(Starlette Johnson)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Tuesday Morning Corp. has appointed Starlette Johnson to its board of directors. Johnson is president and coo of the Dave and Busters restaurant chain, serving in that capacity since April 2007.

A clean that's green.(WHAT'S HOT)(Quickie Designs Inc.)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Sustainability is an important topic in today's retail marketplace. Consumers, though, think about sustainability in broad terms. They think in terms of the health of their families, their communities and the environment as elements of...

Shopping outlook.(MERCHANT PLANNER: A MONTHLY TREND TRACKER OF WEATHER AND MERCHANDISING FOR THE YEAR'S HIGHEST-VOLUME PROMOTIONAL "HOLIDAYS")(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... The week before Father's Day (June 8 to 14) will trend cooler and wetter (especially in the Rockies and Midwest) than last year, when temperatures trended +1.3[degrees]F warmer than normal for the nation and precipitation was 44% below...

Forecast by retail market.(MERCHANT PLANNER: A MONTHLY TREND TRACKER OF WEATHER AND MERCHANDISING FOR THE YEAR'S HIGHEST-VOLUME PROMOTIONAL "HOLIDAYS")(Statistical table)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... FORECAST BY RETAIL MARKET AVERAGE LAST YEAR THIS YEAR City (30 YEARS) (ACTUAL) (FORECAST) Boston TEMP 67[degrees] 63[degrees] 70[degrees] ...