WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Food Marketing Institute’s favor on Monday, backing the trade group’s efforts to protect the confidentiality of the store-level data of retailers that participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The case involved a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request made by the Argus Leader newspaper in
Technology is not just changing the way people shop and buy. It also may be changing the way some of them steal, and the ways that retailers are fighting back. “We are seeing dramatic changes in the risks faced by retailers, and loss prevention practices and priorities are evolving to meet those challenges,” NRF vice
The German hard discount grocery retailer Lidl stumbled in its much anticipated U.S. debut two years ago. The retailer has proven a strong competitor throughout Europe, with a business model based on small stores, a no-frills shopping experience and low low prices, and Lidl had big plans for the U.S. market. After opening nine stores
LONDON — British grocer Sainsbury’s planned £7.3 billion ($9.4 billion) acquisition of Walmart’s Asda division has been blocked by U.K. regulators. Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority ruled that the deal, announced in April 2018, would hurt competition and result in higher prices for consumers, not only in stores but also online and at gas stations.
CHICAGO — Retailers and suppliers can win consumers’ business and their loyalty by offering greener products, as long as they don’t try to charge more for them. That is one of the findings of Earth Day 2019, an A.T. Kearney study based on a poll of 1,000 U.S. consumers. The study found that more than 70% of Americans
NEW YORK — Although obstacles to a widespread rollout remain, CBD products are edging into the mainstream. Late last month both CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens announced that they would begin selling CBD products in some stores. CVS has begun carrying CBD products in selected stores in seven states: California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland and
The war between retailers and credit card companies over transaction fees continues. The latest battle in that war began on March 1, when Kroger Co. announced that its Smith’s Food & Drug Stores division will be the company’s second banner to stop accepting Visa credit cards as a form of payment, beginning on April 3. Foods
The overall U.S. economy is still strong. But many Americans, including people who have jobs, are still struggling financially. As a recent report from the Hartman Group points out, the fact that large numbers of American consumers are living paycheck to paycheck inevitably affects how and where they shop. The report — “The Business of
CARLISLE, Pa. — GIANT Food Stores hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday for a new e-commerce hub in Lancaster, Pa. The facility is part of the retailer’s recently rebranded digital grocery operation, which is called “GIANT DIRECT, Powered by Peapod.” The new hub, which is being operated in partnership with Peapod Digital Labs, will
A retail renaissance is coming. That is the view of a new report from Coresight Research, which argues that 2019 will be a year of reinvention, for the retail industry and for retail stores. “By the end of 2019, we expect to see spectacular new flagships, many more online-to-off-line ventures and smarter supply chains,” writes
Technology is rapidly changing the retail industry, but for now the fears of an apocalyptic impact on brick-and-mortar stores seem overblown. With Walmart, Target and many other mass retailers leveraging their physical stores to help them succeed with online customers as well as those that prefer to do their shopping in person, there is also
MINNEAPOLIS — Target Corp. on Thursday reported strong sales gains for the November/December holiday sales period, and reiterated its sales and earnings guidance for the full year. The company also announced changes in its executive ranks, including the planned retirement of chief financial officer Cathy Smith. Target’s holiday sales performance included a 5.7% comparable store sales