When hhgregg filed for bankruptcy, the appliance and electronics retailer said it already had one possible, unidentified buyer lined up, ready to bid in the eventual auction. Alas, that bidder has reportedly backed out, leaving behind clues to its identity. [More]
Retail Services
Here’s The List Of JCPenney Stores Closing This Spring
By 3.17.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
JCPenney has done the best job of all American department store chains at adapting to the new retail reality and recovering from a brief complete brand makeover under former CEO Ron Johnson, but that reality still means closing some of its stores. Today, the chain released the list of 138 store locations that it plans to close in the coming months. [More]
Costco Gives Shopper New Pants After Phone Catches Fire In Pocket
By 3.17.17
It must be terrifying and possibly humiliating to have your phone suddenly start smoking and catch fire in your pocket, causing you to ditch your pants in the middle of a store. At least one Costco shopper in Washington got a free pair of pants out of the ordeal. [More]
Costco’s Bottom Line Gets A Boon From Store-Brand Booze
By 3.16.17
When times are tough, it’s generally a very bad idea to seek out hope in a bottle, but don’t tell that to Costco. Brisk sales of the warehouse club’s store-brand liquor and wine are helping make up for Costco’s lower-than-expected retail receipts. [More]
Here Are The 365 Stores RadioShack Wants To Close Next
By 3.16.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
RadioShack recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in just over two years, and the electronics chain has announced plans to close somewhere between 530 and all of its stores, making final decisions in the coming weeks. What we do know is that the company has begun another round of store closings, and a likely list of stores slated to close was filed in the Shack’s bankruptcy case. [More]
Chinese Show Accuses Nike Of False Advertising
By 3.16.17
A so-called Chinese “name-and-shame” consumer protection show called out Nike this week, accusing the company of making false claims about its basketball shoes. [More]
Beloved Indie Clothing Retailer ModCloth To Become Part Of…Walmart?
By 3.15.17 — Updated: 3.17.17
Many startups dream of being acquired by a deep-pocketed benefactor, but sometimes the brand reputations of the startup and of the new parent company don’t quite match up. For example, what does the quirky online retailer ModCloth have in common with Walmart? According to news reports, what they have in common is that Walmart subsidiary Jet has purchased ModCloth. [More]
Amazon Prime Expanding Beer, Wine Delivery Service
By 3.15.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Hate putting on real pants to go buy beer or wine? Some Ohio residents will have another option now that Amazon is expanding its Prime Now beer and wine delivery to customers in certain cities. [More]
Grocery Shrink Ray Strikes Cascade Complete Pods, Febreze Air Effects
By 3.15.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
When companies slightly reduce the size of a product instead of raising the price, that’s called the Grocery Shrink Ray. It’s often deployed at the same time as a packaging redesign to make the shrinkage harder to notice. Two brands from Procter & Gamble, Febreze and Cascade, have done this with their products recently, and our observant readers noticed. [More]
Inside Stories From RadioShack’s Sinking Ship: Tight Lips, Confusion, Questionable Clearance Prices
By 3.15.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
As RadioShack slouched toward its second bankruptcy in two years, employees of the once-great retailer inundated Consumerist with tales of tight-lipped managers, confusion over store closings, and “clearance” savings that aren’t what they appear to be. [More]
Walgreens & Rite Aid Willing To Unload More Stores On Fred’s To Make Merger Happen
By 3.14.17
Walgreens and Rite Aid want to merge and become the largest pharmacy chain in the country, and the Federal Trade Commission is the main obstacle in their path. That’s why Walgreens, the much larger partner in this merger, is preparing a new proposal for the regulators, which would include selling off more stores to what’s now a small regional chain. [More]
The Mall Is Following You While You Shop
By 3.14.17
When you go to a shopping mall — if you ever do — there’s a good chance you’ve got a smartphone turned on in your pocket or bag. And if you do, you may be providing valuable data to that property’s owners, who can follow you around like a hawk to figure out how much time and money you’re there to spend. [More]
Feds Say Invention Marketing Firm Used Bogus Testimonials, Threatened To Sue Clients
By 3.14.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Getting your awesome invention from scribble to prototype to store shelves is often no simple task, but one company that promised to help amateur inventors patent and market their creation has been shut down by a federal court after being accused of bilking millions of dollars from its clients. [More]
Report: Hudson’s Bay In Talks To Buy Neiman Marcus
By 3.14.17
A month after Saks Fifth Avenue and Gilt parent company Hudson’s Bay was reported to be sniffing around Macy’s, the high-end retail giant is now apparently moving on to more luxurious pastures, with news that it is considering a purchase of newly available Neiman Marcus. [More]
Company Behind “Smart” Vibrator To Pay $3.75M In Settlement
By 3.14.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
The makers of an internet-connected sex toy who were accused of violating users’ privacy have agreed to pay $3.75 million to settle a federal lawsuit. [More]
Investors Betting That Mall Owners Will Default On Mortgages
By 3.14.17
Nearly a decade ago, some investors scored big payouts by predicting that the housing boom’s glut of mortgage-backed securities would turn out to be toxic. Now there are investors betting on the hope that more mall owners will soon be letting their properties go into foreclosure. [More]
Whole Food Recalls Cheeses Linked To Two Listeria-Related Deaths
By 3.14.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Whole Foods has expanded a recent recall of Vulto Creamery cheese products potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes after health officials linked two deaths and four illnesses to the cheese made from unpasteurized raw milk. [More]
