ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco Wholesale Corp. last month made a $1 billion deal to bolster its e-commerce operations, acquiring Innovel Solutions, a logistics firm specializing in the storage and delivery of big and bulky items. The move is seen as helping Costco support online sales of such products as furniture, large appliances, fitness equipment and
ST. LOUIS — Discount grocer Save A Lot announced this month it had reached agreement with a majority of its lenders to recapitalize the business and deleverage its balance sheet. Save A Lot said the deal eliminates $500 million in debt and provides $350 million in new capital that will support operations and the acceleration
The hundreds of thousands of employees who make the retail marketplace function, those staffers who are frequently overlooked, routinely unnoticed by their superiors, and all-too-frequently underpaid, undervalued and underappreciated, have emerged as the heroes and heroines of the coronavirus pandemic. They have routinely accomplished the impossible, working exhaustingly long hours with little rest and less
For retail companies that sell essential merchandise and remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic, the crisis has created new exigencies that are testing their mettle. With consumer preferences and shopping patterns undergoing sudden and dramatic shifts, stores have had to scramble to meet unprecedented demand, while at the same time doing everything they can to
Keeping up with today’s consumers can be all consuming. The consumer packaged goods industry is at this critical turning point. The established players are being forced to listen, as owning and selling a big global brand no longer guarantees survival. The rise of plant-based, lactose-free, vegan-friendly, “clean,” natural and organic products is testament to the
NEW YORK — The coronavirus pandemic is disrupting the retail industry on multiple fronts. As the disease began to spread in the United States and globally earlier this month, retailers had to deal with interrupted supply chains, sick employees, empty shelves and the possibility that consumer spending in retail stores will plummet as containment efforts
WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation (NRF) said it expects the impact of coronavirus on imports at major U.S. retail container ports will be larger and last longer than previously believed, as factory shutdowns and travel restrictions in China continue to hamper production. “There are still a lot of unknowns to fully determine the impact
GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Dollar General Corp. expects to execute about 2,600 real estate projects this year, a 20% increase from the fiscal year that ended in February. Projects include 1,000 new store openings, as well as 1,500 mature store remodels and 80 store relocations. “Our proven high-return, low-risk model for real estate growth continues to
LAKELAND, Fla. — Publix Super Markets Inc. has launched its first personalized membership program, Club Publix. The program bundles a number of digital features, including early notifications of sales, the ability to pay with a scan of the Publix app, and the option to receive e-receipts. Club Publix members also get exclusive perks and access
MINNEAPOLIS — Target Corp. is budgeting more than $3 billion in 2020 to maintain its recent pace of about 300 store remodels a year and to fund initiatives that include adding automation to its supply chain, diversifying its private label assortment and expanding its store pickup capabilities to include fresh groceries and alcoholic beverages. Target
ARLINGTON, Va. — Leslie Sarasin, president and chief executive officer of FMI — the Food Industry Association, is intent on ensuring that the group’s recent name change signifies more than an update of its image. Formerly the Food Marketing Institute, the newly rechristened association represents an industry far more diverse and complex than it was
BOISE, Idaho — Albertsons Cos. announced earlier this month that it has filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed initial public offering consisting of common stock to be sold by certain of its stockholders and the issuance by the company of Series A mandatory convertible preferred