North America – Page 12
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JC Penney to close underperforming stores
Mid-market department store retailer JC Penney has outlined plans to close underperforming stores, wind down its catalogue and outlet operations and consolidate its call centres.At the same time, the retailer announced that investor William Ackman will sit on the chain’s board. Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Management along with Vornado have ...
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Blockbuster faces eviction from dozens of US stores due to unpaid rent
Blockbuster reportedly faces eviction from dozens of US stores where it has not paid rent, adding to the bankrupt company’s troubles. According to local press, four landlords have asked a bankruptcy judge to order immediate rental payment for 38 of the company’s stores.
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Canadian Tire Q4 sales up 2.4% to £1.96bn
Canadian Tire reported sales up 2.4% in the fourth quarter to C$3.1bn (£1.96bn), while net earnings rocketed 88.2% to C$181.1m (£114.6m). Sales at its Canadian Tire Retail division, which comprises mainly company-owned and operated stores, increased 0.5%. Like-for-like sales declined 0.4%. Adjusted earnings before taxes at Canadian Tire Retail soared ...
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Shoppers Drug Mart sales up 3.9% to £6.56bn
Shoppers Drug Mart has reported full-year sales for 2010 of C$10.37bn (£6.56bn), up 3.9%. The retailer’s sales continued to grow in all regions of the country, led by strong gains in Western Canada and Quebec. Its capital investment and store development programme, which resulted in a 6.4% year-on-year rise in ...
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Whole Foods Market Q1 sales up 14% to £1.87bn
Whole Foods Market has reported sales for the first quarter ended January 16 increased 14% to $3bn (£1.87bn), with like-for-likes soaring 9.1%. Operating income, meanwhile, rose 44.1% to $147.6m (£92.1m) during the quarter.The retailer also announced plans to open wellness clubs at five of its US stores. The clubs, which ...
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Walgreens to run campaign promoting private-label
Drugstore operator Walgreens is to run its first national advertising campaign promoting its private-label health and wellness products. The campaign will highlight the quality of its private labels and the customer service provided by its pharmacists, rather than just their affordability. The digital portion of the campaign is the result ...
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Kroger ramps up promotions through MyWebGrocer
Kroger has started to provide shoppers at all its banners with information about promotions and products through MyWebGrocer. With the online tool, consumers can also personalise shopping lists and receive recipes through a computer or smartphone. Tengelmann A&P, Winn-Dixie, Delhaize Food Lion and Shop Rite are also participating in MyWebGrocer.
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Blockbuster to add 3,000 Express DVD rental kiosks this year
Blockbuster is planning to add 3,000 Express DVD rental kiosks during 2011, despite closing stores and filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.Blockbuster Express owner NCR estimates that it will generate about $200m (£130m) in revenue in a single year from its kiosks and says it plans to reposition kiosks that ...
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Borders intends to stay in business
Entertainment retailer Borders said it fully intended to stay in business, despite widespread reports that it may be preparing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.Bloomberg News had reported that the company could file for bankruptcy protection within days and would seek to close at least 150 stores. Borders said that it ...
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CVS revenues up 3.1% to £9.6bn
Pharmacy retailer CVS has reported revenues in its retail drugstore segment up by 3.1% to $14.9bn (£9.6bn) in its fourth quarter to December 31, as like-for-like sales rose 1.7%.The retailer’s pharmacy benefit management arm, however, experienced a revenue decline of 9.7% due to the termination of several large client contracts.President ...
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Gap names Art Peck as new president of Gap North America
Gap has named Art Peck its new president of Gap North America, effective immediately. Peck previously handled corporate strategy and oversaw the outlet division.He succeeds Marka Hansen, who has led the Gap brand in North America since 2007. Meanwhile, Pam Wallack, the current president of Gap Adult North America, will ...
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JC Penney to launch The Foundry Big & Tall Supply Co
JC Penney has announced plans to launch a new retail concept catering to the big and tall male customer.The chain will trade under the banner The Foundry Big & Tall Supply Co and will carry branded apparel and accessories as well as its private-label and exclusive merchandise. The stores will ...
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RadioShack chief executive to retire in May
The chairman and chief executive of electronics retailer RadioShack, Julian Day, will retire in May after nearly five years.He will be succeeded as chief executive by current chief financial officer Jim Gooch, who was immediately promoted to president.Day led an overhaul of RadioShack operations that helped streamline the business while ...
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Cumberland Farms opens its first drive-thru store
Cumberland Farms has opened its first drive-thru store, at an existing convenience store in Kingston, Boston.The convenience store retailer said a “wide variety” of the 3,000 items sold at the store were available at the drive-thru window, including groceries and staple goods.The store has been opened on a pilot basis ...
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Netflix Q4 revenue rises 34% to £386m
Netflix has reported a 52% rise in net income to $47.1m (£31m) in the fourth quarter ended December 31, with revenues rocketing 34% to $596m (£386m).During the period the company had a gain of 3 million subscribers, up to a total of 20 million end users. This represents a 63% ...
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Blockbuster gets deadline extension for bankruptcy reorganisation plan
Blockbuster has received an additional three weeks from its lenders to file a bankruptcy reorganisation plan. The company received an extension to February 4 from January 14 to file a plan, a regulatory filing shows. It is common for debtors to seek such extensions and US bankruptcy courts routinely grant ...
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AnalysisTarget finds perfect stores for Canadian expansion
US retailer Target has announced its entry into Canada after acquiring leasehold interests in up to 220 Zellers sites from the Hudson’s Bay Company.
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Gap's Athleta opens store in San Francisco
Gap’s Athleta brand, which was until now only available through Gap’s online platform, has opened its first retail location in San Francisco.The store offers Athleta’s collection of women’s active lifestyle apparel for yoga, running, swimming, the gym, hiking and skiing alongside other sportswear. Custom-made mannequins moulded from the body of ...
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GalleryMade in Manhattan
Over the last 12 months, Times Square in the heart of Manhattan has consolidated its position as the destination in New York for casual American fashion, but there are new stores right across the Big Apple
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US retailers issue mixed trading updates
Retailers have been issuing Christmas trading updates. Department store group Kohl’s reported total sales for the five weeks ended January 1 up 5.9% to $3.19bn (£2.05bn) over the comparable period the previous year. On a like-for-like sales basis, December sales increased 3.9%.Clothing retailer Limited Brands reported like-for-like sales up 5% ...