EQUITY RETAIL BLOG

hhgregg Creating 700 New Chicago Area Jobs

hhgregg, Inc., a specialty retailer of consumer electronics, has announced that it will fill approximately 700 positions for 14 new stores scheduled to open in the area in fall 2011 as reported on istockanalyst.com. Article Link

Big Lots Getting Bigger

Shopping Center Business reported that Big Lots, which offers an extensive assortment of brand-name products, including home furnishings, seasonal items, housewares, toys and gifts at closeout prices, is opening a “lot” more stores in 2011, continuing a big push in new store growth from last year. Big Lots operates more than 1,400 retail stores serving 48 […]

Ross Dress for Less 1,000th Store

Congratulations Ross Dress for Less! Ross Stores will celebrate on July 16 the opening of its 1,000th Dress for Less store in North Pleasant Hill, Calif.   Ross Stores’ announcement of its 1,000th Dress for Less store follows strong monthly and quarterly sales and earnings, as the company continues to thrive in the down economy. […]

Did You Know So Many People Like to Bargain Hunt?

Retailers like Trader Joe’s, DSW, T.J. Maxx, Costco, BJ’s, and Dollar Tree lure you in to buy one thing, but then count on the impulse buy for unexpected treasures at bargain prices.   Goodies at Trader Joe’s aren’t on most grocery lists, but they’re eye-catching enough to tempt shoppers into an impulse buy. At a […]

Petsmart & Petco Not Feeling the Heat from Discounters

The Wall Street Transcript, which publishes its Pets and Vets Report, recently interviewed Joan Storms, CFA.  She is a sell-side Equity Analyst with 16 years experience covering specialty hardline retail companies. She has been at Wedbush Securities since 1999.  During the interview she provided the following information. ********************************** The industry is highly fragmented. You have […]

BJ's Goes Private

As reported in the bostonherald.com, BJ’s Wholesale Club has agreed to be sold to Leonard Green & Partners, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, and go private in a deal worth $2.8 billion. bostonherald.com Article Link

ShopRite tops Acme for grocery sales leader in Philly market

I am anxiously awaiting the June issue of the Food Trade News and its annual market study. Although I haven’t received it yet, Maria Panaritis of the Philadelphia Inquirer obviously has. According to Maria’s story yesterday about the study, “ShopRite, ringing up $1.7 billion in sales across the eight-county Philadelphia region, grabbed the top spot from […]

Walmart Hitting the Gas with 'Neighborhood Market'

As reported on icsc.org, Walmart announced plans to nearly double the number of its Neighborhood Market supermarkets over the next three years. At present, the company operates 185 of these stores, including 30 in Puerto Rico under the Amigo banner.   Walmart executives say, but the 42,000-square-foot Neighborhood Market stores will help revitalize same-store growth […]

Walmart to have 300 Neighborhood Market stores by 2013

According to an article in Shopping Centers Today, Walmart said last week it plans to nearly double the number of its Neighborhood Market supermarkets over the next three years. Currently the company operates 185 of these stores, including 30 in Puerto Rico. Walmart President and CEO Bill Simon is counting on the 42,000 square foot stores […]

Target CEO provides his take on PFresh

In a recent interview for USA Today, Jayne O’Donnell asked Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel to describe the PFresh concept. Here’s what Steinhafel had to say. “PFresh is a comprehensive remodel within our stores’ environment that does a number of things. It adds a much larger assortment of dry, dairy and frozen, then we add fresh perishables to […]