MIAMI — A sense of urgency pervaded the Food Marketing Institute’s (FMI’s) Midwinter Executive Conference here last month. Faced with the tsunami of change sweeping over the industry, retailers and suppliers were eager, in private meetings and public sessions, to hear new ideas and talk about innovative strategies that will enable them to flourish in
Retail pharmacy operators and other health care providers received a jolt last month when Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase unveiled plans to form a stand-alone company that will address health care for their employees in the U.S., where costs are notoriously high and patient outcomes often vary widely. While details of the venture remain
As recently as last August, online grocery shopping seemed destined to remain a niche pursuit in the United States. A Gallup survey released at the time found that just 4% of Americans said they shop online for groceries on a weekly basis, while only 9% did so at least once a month. That compares to
As the plane descended into New York’s LaGuardia Airport I was thinking about what awaited at the 2018 NRF Big Show. This year I was attending with two very distinct lenses, one seeking to gain greater perspective on the role of digital and innovation and their impact on traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, hearing from amongst the
SEATTLE — Amazon and Whole Foods Market jointly announced the introduction of free, two-hour delivery of natural and organic products from Whole Foods through Prime Now, with plans to expand across the U.S. in 2018. Now, Prime customers in neighborhoods of Austin, Texas; Cincinnati; Dallas; and Virginia Beach, Va., can shop through Prime Now for
NEW YORK — Walmart is increasingly becoming a technology company, seeing its transformation into an omnichannel retailer as critical to its continued growth. But Walmart president and chief executive officer Doug McMillon insists that retailing is still a people business, and “our people will ultimately be the way that we win.” McMillon spoke about people
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Judith McKenna has been named president and chief executive officer of Walmart International. McKenna, who has been executive vice president and chief operating officer of Walmart U.S., will take charge of Walmart’s second-largest operating segment on February 1. She succeeds David Cheesewright, who has headed Walmart International since 2014 and will retire
BOISE, Idaho — After 40 years of service, Albertsons Cos. president and chief operating officer Wayne Denningham is stepping down at the end of the fiscal year, the company announced earlier this month. The company also named Susan Morris as executive vice president and chief operations officer, overseeing the company’s supply chain, manufacturing and operations
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health is bringing more transparency to beauty care marketing with the introduction of the CVS Beauty Mark, a watermark that highlights imagery that hasn’t been materially altered. Plans call for the CVS Beauty Mark to begin appearing on CVS Pharmacy-produced beauty images — including imagery for stores, websites, social media and
WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation (NRF) and the Retail Industry Leaders Association each welcomed the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to reenter the dispute over whether states should be able to require online retailers to collect and remit state sales taxes. Retailers and others had been expecting the court to take up the
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings Corp. has raised $100 million in new financing and is pursuing an additional $200 million. The company also amended existing notes to increase its borrowing base advance rate for inventory and defer its collateral coverage test and restart it with the second quarter of 2018. Sears Holdings furthermore is
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Lidl’s entrance into the United States last June prompted rival grocers to lower prices on key staples by as much as 55% at stores in the vicinity of the Lidl outlets, according to a study released January 10 by the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School. The study was led