In April, employees of Stop & Shop, a grocery chain in New England, went on strike for eleven days. However, there was one notable exception. Marty, Shop & Shop’s newest employee, continued his work in the stores’ aisles. Marty is also a robot. At the beginning of the year, Stop & Shop deployed Marty the […]
walmart
Small Changes, Big Savings
Earlier this year, Walmart announced that they will save $200 million by changing their light bulbs and save $20 million by using a new floor wax. Those kinds of numbers are cause for anyone to stop and re-think routine purchases. Making supply or operational changes in your store probably won’t save you $200 million, but, […]
How Retailers Can Build A Local Following
Smart indie retailers are always looking for ways to attract customers and build business. One way to grow is to cultivate a local following. Here are some tips for expanding your local customer base and sales.
‘Tis The Season To Hire
Employers in the retail sector are opting to hire an average of 10 percent more staff, compared with last year’s holiday season.
Walmart’s Green Efforts
Walmart is facing criticism for the slow progress of its well publicized sustainability drive, launched in 2005. The company’s recently released annual Sustainability Report highlighted progress in waste reduction and renewable energy, and in creating both a, “Great for You,” nutritional label and a sustainability index to help the company’s buyers evaluate purchases in 100 […]
Layaways Return
With families more cost conscious and budgets tight over the past few years, many retailers have tried numerous customer-friendly promotions to get a piece of the shopping budget. Among these promotions are integrated marketing campaigns across all available channels, paid shipping expenses, and this past holiday season favorite, layaway programs. Many big box retailers and […]
Walmart Proves Layaways May Help Retailers Bounce Back
A key component to Walmart’s success during the recent holiday season was the return of layaways.
Walmart Moves To Recapture Sales
Independent retailers received a brief moment of happiness when big box retailer, Walmart, fell victim to economic hardship, helping to even the playing field for the rest of Main Street USA. For months, local discount stores and mom and pop shops have been witness to the fact that even the industry bigwigs aren’t immune to […]
Walmart Express Stores
As Walmart is running out of locations for its big shopping centers, and running out of ideas to boost its declining revenue, the company is looking to roll out a nationwide implementation of small express stores. These 15,000 square-foot express convenience stores will allow Walmart to enter urban markets, as well as some rural towns. […]