That was quick. Barely two years after filing for its previous bankruptcy, RadioShack has again run out of money and options, resulting in the retail chain’s second Chapter 11 filing since Feb. 2015. [More]
Retail Services
Dick’s Sporting Goods Predicts More Trouble In Industry, Will Focus On House Brands
By 3.8.17
Unlike a number of its competitors who are shuttering stores or shutting down entirely, sales are up slightly at Dick’s Sporting Goods. That may not be enough to please Wall Street, so the retailer has a plan to boost profits: Sell more of its house-brand products. [More]
As Sales Sink, Urban Outfitters CEO Declares Retail “Bubble Has Burst”
By 3.8.17
The last few years haven’t exactly been great for long-time mall retailers, with chains like Wet Seal, BCBG, Aeropostale, and The Limited filing for bankruptcy, while Abercrombie & Fitch and Barnes & Noble struggle to remain relevant. Now that two additional mall mainstays — Express and Urban Outfitters — one CEO is saying that retailers have no one to blame but themselves. [More]
Walmart To Combat Amazon With In-Store Screens That Let You Buy Things Online
By 3.8.17
Because Amazon is shipping to customers from a vast network of warehouses around the country, shoppers are less likely to come across out-of-stock items. Walmart, conversely, is infamous for its empty shelves, but the retailer is testing a new program that would allow customers to immediately place an online order for an item that isn’t in stock. [More]
Whole Foods Adding Do-It-Yourself Juice Bars To Some California Stores
By 3.8.17
Shoppers can already purchase a variety of juices from Whole Foods, but soon some customers in Southern California will be able to make — and then buy — their own juice at stores. [More]
Report: Starbucks Pushing Each U.S. Store To Serve 20 More People Daily
By 3.7.17
Can customers appear out of thin air? That’s what some Starbucks workers are wondering as their corporate overlords have reportedly asked them to serve an additional 20 customers every day, at every store in the United States. How do they find these customers? [More]
SCI, Operator Of 1,000 Funeral Homes, Doesn’t Pass Savings On To Bereaved
By 3.7.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Did you know that there’s a Walmart of death care? That’s often a comparison used to describe Service Corporation International, which uses the public-facing brand Dignity Memorial, and operates more than 1,000 funeral homes across the country. That kind of economy of scale should mean Walmart-style discounts, right? Only a recent price survey shows that SCI-owned funeral homes charge more than their independent counterparts. [More]
Craftsman Recalls 46,000 Collapsable Saws Over Laceration Hazard
By 3.7.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Working with saws and other tools can be a dangerous activity, and the risk increases when the table saw you’re using unexpectedly collapses, as is the case for some 46,000 Craftsman portable table saws now being recalled. [More]
McDonald’s Is Once Again Testing Chicken Tenders
By 3.7.17
If you’ve had a chicken finger-shaped hole in your heart ever since McDonald’s yanked its Chicken Selects tenders from menus nationwide, healing may be in sight: The chain says it’s once again trying its hand at chicken tenders. [More]
Report: RadioShack In The Process Of Closing Around 200 Stores
By 3.7.17
As rumors continue to swirl that RadioShack’s parent company is preparing to file for bankruptcy, a new report backs that up, and says that the chain is in the process of closing around 200 stores. From the response we’ve gotten from readers asking about the status of their local stores, we aren’t surprised. [More]
hhgregg Files For Bankruptcy, Already Has A Buyer Lined Up
By 3.7.17
In news that will come as a surprise to just about no one, hhgregg has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The appliance, electronics, and furniture retailer had previously announced it was, closing 40% of its stores, but it apparently concluded that the best strategy was a quick Chapter 11 and sale. [More]
Midwest Off-Price Retailer Gordmans May Be In Financial Trouble
By 3.7.17
So far this year, several national retailers have filed for bankruptcy and closed some, if not all, of their doors. But it’s not just mega chains like Kmart, Macy’s, and The Limited that are hurting, regional chains are also feeling the pressure. To that end: off-price department store chain Gordmans is reportedly preparing to file for bankruptcy. [More]
Best Buy Swaps Intel Mini Stores For Alienware Displays
By 3.7.17
Best Buy offers customers a range of “experiences” through an array of mini-stores, including those from AT&T, Verizon, Oculus, Samsung, and Intel. Now, the company is revamping one of those concepts, swapping out dozens of Intel store-within-a-store showcases to feature products from Alienware instead. [More]
Why Are Malls Trying To Fill Empty Spaces With Supermarkets?
By 3.7.17
To stay viable into the future, malls need to find tenants with businesses that are difficult or impossible to move online. That includes things like parties, doctors’ offices, and a wider variety of restaurants, some of them inside already existing stores. Another business that could fit nicely into a vacant mall anchor slot: a grocery store [More]
Subway Fires Back At “50% Chicken” Claim
By 3.7.17
A recent report out of Canada claimed that testing of Subway’s chicken revealed that the meat was only 50% chicken with the rest made from soy. Now the sandwich chain is countering that report with science of its own, saying that two independent tests confirm that Subway’s chicken is… well, chicken. [More]
Samsung Washing Machine Repair Woes? Tell Us About It
By 3.7.17
Dozens of owners of Samsung’s recalled top-load washing machines have shared their frustration over the recall process, from difficulty in contacting the company to continuously canceled repair appointments. But there have also been consumers who were able to complete the recall. To that end, we’d like to hear about your experience after the repair. [More]
Is Your Local RadioShack Store Closing Soon? Let Us Know
By 3.6.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Amid recent rumors that the company that now owns RadioShack is preparing to file for bankruptcy, and scattered reports of store closures around the U.S., we started noticing signs — very literal ones — that the company could be making a concerted effort to shut down stores. [More]
Report: Neiman Marcus Hires Investment Firm To Explore Debt Restructuring
By 3.6.17
Nearly a year after rumors began swirling that Neiman Marcus was in the market for a buyer in order to get out from a $5 billion debt load, the luxury department store has reportedly hired an investment bank to boost its bottom line. [More]
