Two months after J. Crew sent its creative director packing, the struggling retailer has announced yet another shakeup in its efforts to turn things around: After 14 years on the job, Mickey Drexler will be stepping down from his position as CEO while remaining chairman of J. Crew’s board. [More]
Retail Services
Wawa Sued A Store Called Dawa, Claiming Customers Might Be Confused
By 6.5.17 — Updated: 6.8.17
If you want customers to feel comfortable trying your store, call it something that’s sort of familiar. A retailer in New Jersey is accused of picking a name that’s a little too familiar, calling its store Dawa and using a logo similar to the chain Wawa. [More]
Lawsuit: Dollar Express Claims Dollar Tree Pushed It Out Of Business
By 6.5.17
When Dollar Tree battled Dollar General for the affections and assets of Family Dollar in 2014 and won, it sold more than 300 stores to a new company called Dollar Express in order to satisfy federal regulators. Fast forward to today: Dollar Express sold itself to former suitor Dollar General, and it’s suing Dollar Tree, claiming that it’s partly to blame for its failure. [More]
How Panera Sped Up Ordering And Dispersed Its ‘Mosh Pit’
By 6.2.17
It’s not a good sign when you’re a fast-casual restaurant, and your company’s own chairman wonders whether he should just have just stayed home and had leftovers for lunch instead of driving there. Panera Bread Co.’s Ron Shaich realized that other people would ask themselves the same question, and made changes to the ordering process that are finally paying off. [More]
Big Box Stores Blamed For Giant, Terrifying Spider
By 6.2.17 — Updated: 6.3.17
A woman was recently terrified by a very large, very scary spider she found in her toddler’s bedroom learned that it didn’t walk in there on its own — it probably hitched a ride with a big box store. [More]
Photographer Sues Forever 21, Urban Outfitters Over Tupac T-Shirt
By 6.2.17 — Updated: 6.9.17
Urban Outfitters and Forever 21 are not strangers to lawsuits claiming they’ve stolen designs or elements of designs from others in order to make sales: from textile designs to ornaments. Now, the two retailers are facing a lawsuit together, after a celebrity photographer claimed the companies illegally used photographs he took of Tupac Shakur on T-shirts. [More]
Former 7-Eleven Franchisee Opens Store Called 6-Twelve, Declares War
By 6.1.17
Years ago, a man moved from Bangladesh to Boston and dreamed of opening his own business. He worked hard and eventually owned a 7-Eleven franchise and store. He lost the franchise after a series of disagreements with the company. After years of legal wrangling, he started a new venture: A store down the street called 6-Twelve. [More]
How To Score Doughnut Deals On National Doughnut Day 2017
By 6.1.17
Do you like free things? And do you like doughnuts? You’re in luck, because June 2 is National Doughnut Day, which means many cafes and stores will be offering up complimentary or discounted treats. [More]
Walmart Employees Now Delivering Packages To Your Front Door
By 6.1.17 — Updated: 6.9.17
Two-day free shipping, online pickup discounts, grocery pickup — these are just a few ways in which Walmart has tried to up its online shopping game while staying competitive with rival Amazon. Today, the big box retailer rolled out its latest effort: sending associates to customers’ houses with orders in hand. [More]
Here’s The Official List Of Payless Stores That Are Closing Next
By 6.1.17
While Payless ShoeSource is waiting to hear back from the court and its landlords about more than 400 stores that it may close without a break on rent, the discount shoe chain has released a list of 112 stores that definitely are closing next. [More]
Here’s What To Buy On Sale In June
By 6.1.17
Although you might think June is a bad time to stock up on seasonal products you can use this summer, there are big discounts to be had this time of year. [More]
Smuckers Recalls Three Brands Of Flour Over Possible E.Coli Contamination
By 6.1.17 — Updated: 6.9.17
The two-month-old recall of potentially E. coli-contaminated flour in Canada is makings its way across the border, as Smuckers announced the recall of three brands of flour shipped to the U.S. [More]
Kmart Victim Of Second Hack Attack In Three Years
By 6.1.17
Even with fewer stores and sales floors full of boxes, Kmart is still an attractive target for ne’er-do-wells: The retailer has found itself on the receiving end of another hack attack, just three years after its last security breach. [More]
You Can Get A Chicken Big Mac Without Assembling It Yourself — If You Live In Australia
By 5.31.17
The Big Mac-McChicken: A sandwich that looks like a Big Mac, but uses McChicken patties instead. McDonald’s customers have long been able to make the sandwich mashup on their own by ordering both sandwiches and stacking them together. But guests in Australia will no longer have to pay for two sandwiches when looking to cure their Chicken Big Mac craving. [More]
Michael Kors To Close 100 to 125 Stores
By 5.31.17
Last year, Michael Kors pulled back on its department store presence and stopped accepting coupons for its merchandise in those locations in order to polish its brand and increase sales, but those changes have apparently only harmed the brand’s value. Now, the luxury accessories retailer is prepping to close at least 100 of its stores. [More]
Dumpster Diving For Beauty Products: Is It Legal And Safe?
By 5.31.17
Sure, it’s always nice to get a great deal on beauty products, and what’s a better deal than 100% off? “Dumpster Diving” — the art of sourcing still-usable items from the trash — is nothing new, but there are growing reports from beauty bloggers and YouTubers claiming to score free lipsticks, nail polishes, eye shadows, and other items by sorting through the items that Ulta, Sephora, and others throw out. Is this legal, and if so, is it safe? [More]
The Whole Foods Coconut Mystery Solved
By 5.30.17
It was a dark and stormy morning at Consumerist HQ, when we received a troubling missive: One of our readers was outraged to find that Whole Foods was charging $1 more for a coconut that comes with a straw than one without. We weren’t sure what we would find, but we knew we had to crack this case — one way or another. [More]
Amazon Wants To Turn Shipping Labels Into Little Parachutes For Drone Deliveries
By 5.30.17
What if package delivery drones didn’t have to actually land to make their deliveries, and instead just dropped their cargo near your home and flew away? Amazon recently filed several variations on parachutes — in the form of shipping labels — that would soften your package’s landing. [More]
