August 31 – Hy-Vee to Hold Next Quarterly ‘Best of Local Brands’ Summit
This year, Hy-Vee is focused on identifying suppliers with diverse backgrounds and urges minority-owned and women-owned businesses to apply for the quarterly summits From: Progressive Grocer
August 31 – Dollar General Makes Additional Leadership Changes
Dollar General announced several leadership updates on Tuesday, including naming a new chief strategy officer, Donny Lau, and three new appointments within its store operations division. From: Grocery Dive
August 31 – Neiman Marcus Promotes Fall Luxury
A new-for-fall marketing campaign from Neiman Marcus dubbed Live Your Luxury, emphasizing pride and living in the moment, will reach out to affluent consumers through multiple channels including a Fall Book, events, digital content and videos. From: HomePage News
August 31 – Bed Bath & Beyond to close stores, lay off staff as part of turnaround plan
The retailer also announced it has secured $500 million in new financing and will sell shares to raise additional cash. From: Retail Dive
August 31 – Best Buy Toughs Out Rough Q2
In a conference call, Corie Barry, Best Buy CEO, said the company had seen some shifting in purchase patterns in favor of trading down, especially in televisions and, in general, of sales event purchasing. From: HomePage News
August 30 – Ulta Builds on Newness, Consumer Engagement in Q2
Post-COVID-19 pandemic demand from a consumer concerned about wellness and self-care as well as internal innovation and new products helped Ulta Beauty generate strong second-quarter results. From: HomePage News
August 30 – Big Lots Repositions Opening Prices, Bargains After Tough Q2
Big Lots posted comparable sales and earnings declines but still did better than Wall Street expected. From: HomePage News
August 29 – Inflation Shaking Up Labor Day Intentions
Over the period, 34% of consumers surveyed said they plan to shop deals with another 52% saying they might do so. From: HomePage News
August 29 – Study Says Personal Care, Home Among Holiday Priorities
Shoppers are putting some emphasis on self-care and their homes after a stressful year, with 61% anticipating spending more or the same on shopping for themselves and their households for holiday 2022. From: HomePage News
August 29 – Ulta Beauty Lifts Full-year Outlook Amid Strong Q2
Citing the “resilience” of the beauty category, Ulta Beauty delivered a strong second quarter and lifted its full-year outlook at a time when many retailers are doing the opposite. From: Drug Store News
August 29 – Dollar Tree Advances Q2 Results, Appoints Former Qurate Exec CFO
A 3.3% increase in average ticket more than offset a 1.2% stumble in transaction count to produce Family Dollar’s 2% comp gain in the quarter year over year. From: HomePage News
August 26 – Meijer Promotes Diversity with Supplier Recruitment Event
The retailer is asking certified minority-, LGBTQ+-, woman-, veteran- and disability-owned businesses based anywhere in the country, as well as local Midwest vendors based within Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Wisconsin to submit their items for consideration by Sept. 18. From: Progressive Grocer
August 26 – Amazon Expands Hydrogen Supplier Deal as it Strives for Carbon Neutrality
Plug Power will supply the retail giant with over 10,000 tons of hydrogen per year across its transportation and operations network. From: Supply Chain Dive
August 26 – Dollar General CFO Now ‘President’ Too
Role expansion comes ahead of succession at CEO. From: Supermarket News
August 26 – SpartanNash Supply Chain Transformation Yields Improved Warehouse Output
Several companies are overhauling operations to trim costs, respond faster to demand spikes and gain more control over distribution. From: Supply Chain Dive
August 25 – Schnucks Opens 1st Express Store
Location adjacent to grocer’s EatWell banner. From: Progressive Grocer
August 25 – New Whole Foods CEO to Take the Reins Next Week
Amazon has opened 60 new grocery stores since acquiring Whole Foods Market five years ago in a $13.7 billion deal while making changes that include new checkout technology and various price reductions. Now, Whole Foods is poised for more change as Jason Buechel prepares to assume the CEO role and Amazon expands its focus on its growing grocery arm. From: NRF SmartBrief
August 25 – Food City to Acquire Cooke’s Grocery Stores
The Abingdon, Virginia-based retailer said it plans to retain the Cooke’s/Fresh n’ Low names and operate both formats of the Tennessee-based chain in a similar fashion for the immediate future. From: Winsight Grocery Business
August 25 – Williams-Sonoma Scores Double-Digit Comps in Q2
Williams-Sonoma posted a double-digit comparable sales gain and a big earnings advance in its second quarter. From: HomePage News
August 25 – Roche Bros. Puts 3-Month Price Lock on 500+ Items
Ahead of its 70th anniversary this autumn, locally owned and family-operated Roche Bros. Supermarkets is offering a helping hand to the local communities that have kept it in business over the years. From: Progressive Grocer
August 24 – Kohl’s Brings Diversity to Sonoma Private Label
The new Sonoma Community sub-brand will include a broad range of home goods and apparel designed to capture the spirit of various cultures. From: STOREBRANDS
August 24 – 7-Eleven Goes Live with New Online Merchandise Store
Offerings include vintage tees, hats, and an assortment of unique memorabilia. From: Convenience Store News
August 24 – Dollar General Promotes Garratt to President After Solid Q2
Garratt retains the CFO role while adding the president title. From: HomePage News
August 24 – The Giant Co. President Nicholas Bertram to Depart
Last month, the grocer made several high-level appointments to bolster its leadership team and further its omnichannel strategy. From: Progressive Grocer
August 24 – Nordstrom Makes Q2 Progress
The timing shift of the Anniversary Sale had a positive impact on Nordstrom banner net sales of about 400 basis points versus the 2021 period. From: HomePage News
August 24 – Qurate Names Chief Transformation Officer
William Hunter has been promoted to chief transformation officer from senior vice president. From: STOREBRANDS
August 24 – Flagstone Foods Names New CEO
Sun-Maid President and CEO Harry Overly will join Flagstone Foods next month. From: STOREBRANDS
August 23 – Kroger launches Another Pair of Ocado ‘Spoke’ Facilities
Cincinnati-based Kroger said Tuesday that a 40,000-square-foot spoke on Polk Avenue in Nashville, TN and a nearly 80,000-square-foot spoke in Maywood, IL are now operational. From: Supermarket News
August 23 – Macy’s Q2 Hit by Macro, Retail Trends but Beats Street
Macy’s got dinged by macroeconomic and retail trends in the second quarter even as it topped Wall Street estimates, and now it is working to position itself for a strong holiday season. From: HomePage News
August 23 – Williams Sonoma Expands Hold Everything Collection
The assortment now includes a number of new items to help consumers tackle storage and organization needs in the kitchen. From: STOREBRANDS
August 22 – Bed Bath & Beyond Aims for Improved Liquidity After Activist Stock Selloff
Bed Bath & Beyond stock has been batted around lately, driven largely by Reddit-related memes and an activist investor who decided to call it a day. But with all the stock activity, some critical considerations have arisen for a company that saw a turn-around attempt falter, top executives leave and suppliers become increasingly concerned about finances. From: HomePage News
August 22 – Ex-Ulta Chief Mary Dillon Named Foot Locker CEO
Former Ulta Beauty CEO Mary Dillon has been hired as Foot Locker’s executive, succeeding Richard Johnson, who will retire Sept. 1 and stay on as executive chairman through Jan. 31. Dillon spent eight years at the helm of Ulta, focusing much of her time on growing the retailer’s e-commerce efforts, and her resume also includes a five-year stint as McDonald’s global marketing chief. From: NRF SmartBrief
August 22 – Tractor Supply Gives Petsense Stores a New Name, Look
Tractor Supply will change the name of its Petsense retail stores to Petsense by Tractor Supply and modernize the stores to make them more welcoming, the company said. Additionally, Petsense shoppers can join Tractor Supply’s Neighbor’s Club loyalty program to earn perks like free pet grooming services and gain access to digital features for ordering pet medications and getting veterinary advice. From: Chain Store Age
August 22 – Placer.ai: Warehouse Clubs Stay Strong with Demographics Helping Sam’s
Membership gains in the pandemic are a probable cause of traffic strength, the market research firm noted. From: HomePage News
August 19 – Ace Hardware Posts a Record-Setting Q2
With record second-quarter revenues of $2.5 billion, Ace Hardware released its financials for Q2 2022. From: Hardware Retailing
August 19 – Home Depot CEO Decker Elected Board Chair
Decker joined The Home Depot in 2000 as a director of business valuation and has held numerous strategic positions across the operation, the company noted. From: HomePage News
August 18 – BJ’s Keeps Momentum Going in Q2
In the second quarter, BJ’s Wholesale Club kept on making significant sales and earnings gains as it continued to add members. From: HomePage News
August 17 – Walgreens Brings in Starbucks Vet for New ‘Chief Format Concepts and Design Officer’ Role
Walgreens is investing in its store design with a new role that aims to rethink how the pharmacy chain connects with shoppers in its physical locations. From: Retail Dive
August 17 – Inflation Hits Comps but TJX Beats Street on Earnings
Scott Goldenberg, TJX CFO, noted that HomeGoods segment profit was hit by incremental freight costs and results for the division were affected by strong home-related pandemic-influence spending. From: HomePage News
August 17 – Inventory Challenge Squeezes Target Q2
As a result of actions undertaken by the company in the second quarter, Target stated it had reduced inventory exposure in discretionary categories while investing in experiencing sales momentum. From: HomePage News
August 16 – Wegmans Gets Ready to Welcome Guests in Delaware
The Wilmington store, situated at the intersection of Lancaster Pike and Barley Mill Road in New Castle County, is expected to open Oct. 26. From: Progressive Grocer
August 16 – Jeremy Gosch Named CEO of Hy-Vee’s Retail Ops
Exec will lead alongside Aaron Wiese, who will head grocer’s subsidiaries, supply chain. From: Progressive Grocer
August 16 – Conn’s X Belk Collaboration Debuts
The Belk-hosted concept gives its customers access to Conn’s complementary home product categories, as well as differentiators such as white-glove, next-day delivery, the companies noted in a joint announcement. From: HomePage News
August 16 – Home Depot Successfully Navigates Choppy Q2
Jeff Kinnaird, Executive VP, pointed out all categories were up against tough year-over-year comparisons, particularly those that had done well in the COVID-19 pandemic From: HomePage News
August 16 – Walmart Adapts to Demand, Beats Street Earnings Estimate
Walmart put up solid numbers in its second quarter after moves to cut costs and shift emphasis as consumer spending patterns changed under the influence of inflation. From: HomePage News
August 15 – Raymond Named Kohl’s Chief Marketing Officer
Prior to Kohl’s, Raymond held progressive roles at The Walt Disney Co., the company noted. From: HomePage News
August 15 – Bloomingdales Plans Multifaceted 150th Anniversary Celebration
On September 8, Bloomingdale’s will launch a 150th Anniversary Collection of exclusive merchandise, the Macy’s division announced, limited-edition designer collaborations that, to date, include more than 300 exclusive products and styles developed in partnership with top brands and designers. From: Homepage News
August 12 – JCPenney Appoints CFO, Presses BTS Strategy
As it continues to position itself for future growth, JCPenney announced that it has appointed Stephanie Plaines CFO and provided details of its strategy to drive back-to-school sales. From: HomePage News
August 11 – Kohl’s Self-Pickup Expansion Looks Forward to the Holidays
She brings experience as a senior executive at companies including Starbucks, Walmart, and Ahold Delhaize, according to JCPenney. From: HomePage News
August 11 – Walmart to Unveil Speedy High-Tech Consolidation Center
To keep goods moving faster, Walmart will open a 400,000 square-foot high-tech consolidation center in Lebanon, PA, this month, which will use automation to move goods three times than has been traditional and help Walmart deliver the right product to the right store. From: HomePage News
August 11 – Distribution Expansion Supports Ace Hardware Growth
The Lebanon, PA consolidation center will service all 42 regional distribution centers across the United States, Walmart stated, with plans to service fulfillment centers in the near future. From: HomePage News
August 10 – Ahold Delhaize Posts ‘Strong’ Q2 Performance
U.S. success spurs retail conglomerate to raise full-year EPS, free cash-flow guidance. From: Progressive Grocer
August 10 – Madden Returns to Kirkland’s CFO Role
In a return engagement, Kirkland’s Home has appointed Mike Madden as CFO. From: HomePage News
August 5 – CVS Beats Expectations in Q2
CVS Health beat Wall Street estimates on earnings and revenues while posting a strong comparable sales gain in the retail business. From: HomePage News
August 5 – Amazon Acquires iRobot in $1.7 Billion Deal
Colin Angle will remain as CEO of iRobot after closing conditions are met, the companies noted. From: HomePage News
August 5 – Target Refreshes Fall Hearth & Hand with Magnolia
The new products include what Target terms kitchen upgrades and cookware designed to enhance moments with loved ones. From: HomePage News
August 4 – Whole Foods to Open Two New Stores This Month
One location in Pennsylvania opens August 10: the other in California on August 31. From: Winsight Grocery Business
August 4 – Ollie’s Bargain Outlet in Milestone Store Opening
Ollie’s has been opening 50 to 55 locations annually, with an ultimate goal of at least 1,050 stores. From: Progressive Grocer
August 4 – Earnings Turn to Losses in Wayfair Q2
For the second quarter, Wayfair recorded a loss during a period the company’s chairman termed “difficult.” From: HomePage News
August 4 – Inflation Cuts into Rent-A-Center Q2 Earnings
In the second quarter, Rent-A-Center saw earnings slip as inflation squeezed its lower-income customers, but it still managed to profit better than Wall Street expected. From: HomePage News
August 4 – JCPenney Touts Collections, Tax-Free Shopping for Back-to-School
JCPenney has set a schedule of tax-free events throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, the company reported in a blog post. From: HomePage News
August 4 – Neiman Marcus names former Williams Sonoma Exec President
Neiman Marcus on Wednesday announced the appointment of Ryan Ross to the position of president effective Aug. 15, according to a company press release. From: Retail Dive
August 3 – Walmart Lays Off 200 From its Corporate Workforce
The Wall Street Journal reported that the roles were in merchandising, global technology, and real estate. From: Retail Dive
August 3 – Manufacturing ISM Indicates Continued Economic Growth
In the Manufacturing ISM Report on Business, Timothy Fiore, chair of the ISM’s Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, noted that the Purchasing Managers Index remained above 50 and, so, in positive territory. From: HomePage News
August 3 – Container Store Comps Gain in Q1; Earnings Beat Street
Container Store comparable sales increased 5.1%, with Custom Closets+ up 14.7%, contributing 450 basis points of the advance, and general merchandise categories up 0.8. From: HomePage News
August 3 – NRF: No Recession This Year, Technically
Despite two consecutive quarters of decline, the United States economy doesn’t appear to be in a recession and remains unlikely to enter one this year, NRF chief economist Jack Kleinhenz stated. From: HomePage News
August 2 – Weis Markets Caps Off Strong Fiscal 2022 First Half
Weis Markets continued to drive sales growth in the fiscal 2022 second quarter after cycling pandemic-related results a year ago. From: Supermarket News
August 2 – Publix Earnings Slip in Q2
Sales advanced in the second quarter that ended June 25, but earnings lagged at Publix. From: HomePage News
August 2 – Walmart Launches Refurbished Products Initiative Online, In Stores
The goal of Walmart Restored, Michael Mosser, general manager, Walmart Marketplace stated in a company blog post, is to provide refurbished products at everyday low prices in conjunction with suppliers. From: HomePage News
August 1 – Independent Grocers Holding Their Own at Top and Bottom Lines
Ongoing strength in food-at-home dollar sales kept center-store sales strong in 2021, as those product categories accounted for almost 61% of independents’ business, the study found. From: Supermarket News
August 1 – Best Buy Scales Back Fiscal 2023 Outlook
The company expects second-quarter comparable sales to decline about 13% versus the year-earlier period. From: HomePage News
August 1 – Williams-Sonoma Banner President Exits but Initiatives Keep Coming
Parent Williams-Sonoma announced that Felix Carbullido has assumed the role of president of the banner. From: HomePage News
