All North America articles – Page 29

  • News

    Amazon to recommence selling wine

    2012-10-03T07:00:00Z

    Amazon intends to start selling wine again after it abandoned previous plans to enter the wine market three years ago.Meanwhile, Amazon’s Quidsi subsidiary in the US has unveiled an ecommerce site offering natural, organic and sustainably made products. Vine.com sells products ranging from skincare to ambient grocery, furnishings and electronics. ...

  • News

    Best Buy develops location-based shopping app

    2012-09-28T07:00:00Z

    Electronics retailer Best Buy has developed a location-based shopping app with eBay-owned RedLaser.Best Buy is the first retailer to ‘geo-fence’ its locations, enabling shoppers to see special offers, browse open-stock items and view products relevant to them when they walk into a store.Online Best Buy shoppers can also research and ...

  • News

    Walgreens to close 76 USA Drug-affiliated stores

    2012-09-28T07:00:00Z

    Walgreens is to close its 76 USA Drug-affiliated stores by November as part of its acquisition of LaFrance Pharmacy.The closures will be in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. The programme comes after Walgreens announced the $438m (£269.9m) LaFrance acquisition in July.Walgreens spokesman Jim Graham said: “Our decisions about store closures are ...

  • Clinton Cards owner American Greetings has received a $580m bid from a group led by its chief executive to take the company private
    News

    American Greetings boss bids to take company private

    2012-09-27T08:27:00Z

    American Greetings, owner of Clinton Cards, has received a $580m (£358.2m) bid from a group led by its chief executive to take the company private.

  • News

    Walmart launches health food programme

    2012-09-26T07:00:00Z

    Walmart has launched a health food programme with HumanaVitality, a subsidiary of the Humana healthcare company.The Vitality HealthyFood scheme offers members an incentive to purchase healthier foods by offering a 5% discount on items awarded Walmart’s ‘Great For You’ symbol.The scheme is due to begin on October 15.Shoppers can join ...

  • News

    Ritz Camera wins court permission to liquidate business

    2012-09-21T07:00:00Z

    Specialist retailer Ritz Camera has won court permission to liquidate the business after failing to find a buyer. In 2009 the retailer’s founding family bought it out of bankruptcy but has since failed to turn the retailer around.Earlier this month an auction was held with the aim of either selling ...

  • News

    JC Penney to bring back its ‘Free haircuts for kids on Sunday’

    2012-09-21T07:00:00Z

    Department store group JC Penney is bringing back its ‘Free haircuts for kids on Sunday’ promotion from November 4.The retailer believes that the free haircut scheme, for children from kindergarten age up to 12 years old, will help bring new customers into stores as well as attract existing shoppers.

  • Speculation on Best Buy’s future ownership has been swirling for months
    Analysis

    International analysis: Best Buy aims to stabilise as clock ticks on buyout

    2012-09-21T07:00:00Z

    US consumer electronics specialist Best Buy has reached an agreement to satisfy recent requests from founder Richard Schulze in connection with his offer to take the retailer private.

  • News

    Toys R Us introduces Christmas season initiative

    2012-09-19T07:00:00Z

    Toys R Us has introduced an initiative for the Christmas season to ensure shoppers do not miss out on in-demand toys.The Hot Toy Reservation programme is a complimentary service that enables customers to reserve any toys from the 50 items on the Toys R Us annual ‘hot toy’ list.The system ...

  • News

    JC Penney wins legal dispute with rival Macy’s

    2012-09-14T07:00:00Z

    JC Penney has won a legal dispute with rival retailer Macy’s that prevented the former from selling Martha Stewart-branded products in its stores.A New York state judge ruled that JC Penney can proceed with its plans to sell Martha Stewart goods, denying Macy’s request for an injunction, The Washington Post ...

  • News

    PPR close to US Redcats sale

    2012-09-12T11:46:00Z

    PPR is close to selling its profitable US Redcats division and offloading its plus-sized and sportsman’s units, the New York Post reported. Sources said OneStopPlus has been put up for sale and is expected to fetch $400m to $500m (£250m to £313m).Private equity firms including TPG, Leonard Green, Berkshire Partners ...

  • Debenhams is now considering smaller stores in the UAE
    Analysis

    Analysis: Exploring international retail expansion

    2012-09-11T07:00:00Z

    Retailers are increasingly exploring international expansion, but securing the right property portfolio abroad brings unique challenges. Gina Lovett reports on developments in key global markets.

  • Victoria’s Secret’s New Bond Street store
    Analysis

    Analysis: Why American retailers are entering the UK

    2012-09-06T16:42:00Z

    US retailers are increasingly crossing the pond to set up shop in this country. Alex Lawson examines the opportunities and pitfalls they face.

  • News

    Peapod launches click-and-collect service

    2012-09-05T07:00:00Z

    Online grocer Peapod has launched a click-and-collect service in partnership with Ahold’s Stop & Shop chain.Shoppers can order groceries online through Peapod and then go to stores for collection. They must live within 10 miles of the store to use the service and payment is made online. Customers can shop ...

  • Michael Poyner
    Opinion

    Comment: A true brand is more than a fascia

    2012-08-31T07:00:00Z

    Many aspire to be a truly successful brand but very few succeed.

  • News

    Net income plunges at Best Buy

    2012-08-31T07:00:00Z

    Consumer electronics specialist Best Buy’s net income plunged 91% to $12m (£7.6m) for the three months ended August 4.That compares with $150m (£94.8m) in the same period a year earlier. Second-quarter adjusted operating profit fell 52% to $124m (£78.3m), hit by restructuring including store closures and job cuts.Total revenue fell ...

  • News

    Bookseller Barnes & Noble narrow net losses

    2012-08-31T07:00:00Z

    Bookseller Barnes & Noble recorded a 2.5% increase in consolidated revenues to $1.5bn (£948.4m) for its first quarter ended July 28. Net loss narrowed to $41m (£25.9m) as a result of cost savings. Sales at the retailer’s stores rose 2% during the period, or 4.6% on a like-for-like basis, benefiting ...

  • China is one of the main destinations UK retailers are targetting for new ventures
    News

    Retailers set sights overseas for sales boost

    2012-08-28T09:30:00Z

    Two thirds of British retailers expect their overseas sales to increase over the next five years and name Germany as the market most likely to provide growth.

  • News

    Target reports second-quarter sales increase

    2012-08-24T07:00:00Z

    Target’s second-quarter sales rose 3.5% to $16.5bn (£10.51bn). Like-for-like sales were up 3.1% on top of a 3.9% gain a year ago. Net earnings remained flat at $704m (£448.6m).During the quarter, Target added eight new stores, including its first three CityTarget stores. The retailer’s REDcard loyalty scheme penetration reached 12.8% ...

  • Despite Walmart’s strong results, footfall fell in Brazil, China and Mexico
    Analysis

    International analysis: Walmart slows expansion in some overseas territories

    2012-08-24T07:00:00Z

    Last week Walmart reported a strong set of results for its second quarter ended July 31.