“Loblaw’s bulk buy: $12.4-billion deal for Shoppers creates a colossus of retail (Canada)” by Simon Houpt at Globe and Mail.  “Canada’s biggest grocery chain and the country’s largest pharmacy will become one company, creating a homegrown juggernaut in the face of stiffer competition from the consolidation of existing players and the entry of a major U.S. retailer.”  Read more:  https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/loblaws-bulk-buy-124-billion-deal-for-shoppers-creates-a-retail-juggernaut/article13239390/

 

“Walgreens was scoping out Shoppers before Loblaw bought drugstore chain” by Garry Marr at National Post.  ““We really thought it would be a big American company that would come up here and make an offer,” said a senior retail-industry source who was aware of Walgreens’ initial interest in possibly buying Shoppers, Canada’s largest drugstore chain.”  Read more:  https://business.financialpost.com/2013/07/16/walgreens-was-scoping-out-shoppers-before-loblaw-bought-drugstore-chain/

 

“Lowe’s & Walgreens Among the “Buzziest” Brands in U.S.” by Amy Langfield at CNBC.  “The U.S. survey is based on interviews with 20,000 people each week and measures a brand’s buzz, which includes whether people have heard anything positive or negative about the brand in the media or through word of mouth.”  Read more:  https://www.cnbc.com/id/100882876

 

“Target among retailers with pop-up outlets for back-to-school” at Chicago Tribune.  “Target said that its pop-up glass dorm room would visit five universities when students head to school in August and September. Shoppers can purchase the bedding and accessories showcased in the room by scanning barcodes on the wall with their phones.”  Read more:  https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-target-among-retailers-with-popup-outlets-for-backtoschool-20130715,0,1693450.story

 

“Attention shoppers: You are being tracked” at NY Times via CNBC.  “The experiment is part of a movement by retailers to gather data about in-store shoppers’ behavior and moods, using video surveillance and signals from their cellphones and apps to learn information as varied as their sex, how many minutes they spend in the candy aisle and how long they look at merchandise before buying it.  All sorts of retailers — including national chains, like Family Dollar, Cabela’s and specialty stores like Benetton and Warby Parker — are testing these technologies and using them to decide on matters like changing store layouts and offering customized coupons.”  Read more:  https://www.cnbc.com/id/100885825

 

“Target turns to reality TV to reach the college crowd” by Andria Cheng at Market Watch.  “Starting Monday and lasting four days, Target plans to stream online and non-stop the activities of five college-age personalities pent up in a faux five-room dorm built in a parking lot near UCLA…The idea is that viewers would buy items featured in each dorm room by clicking on them.”  Read more:  https://blogs.marketwatch.com/behindthestorefront/2013/07/15/target-turns-to-reality-tv-to-reach-the-college-crowd/?mod=MW_latest_news

 

“Orchard Supply CFO Says Lenders Helped Boost Lowe’s Bid” by Jaqueline Palank at WSJ.  “A competing bid from Orchard Supply Hardware Corp.’s lenders helped push Lowe’s Cos.’ offer for the hardware chain’s assets to $205 million from $190 million, Orchard’s chief financial officer testified in court Monday afternoon.  Only Lowe’s and the lenders submitted offers, Mr. Newman told the Wilmington, Del., bankruptcy court, but Lowe’s dropped its offer after the lenders rejected it.”  Read more:  https://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20130715-709983.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

 

“June Retail Sales Indicate a Growing but Measured Economy” (NRF Release). “June retail sales (excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants) increased 0.6 percent seasonally adjusted from May and increased 3.0 percent unadjusted year-over-year.  “The consumer economy is improving but growth rates and retail sales will remain reserved for the foreseeable future”. “Consumers remain wary,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said.”  Read more: https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130715005817&div=-1245645151

 

“Global retailers entered 25 new markets in Q1: Accenture” by Erin Shea at Luxury Daily via Microsoft.  “The Accenture Globalization Index found that retailers entered a number of mature and emerging markets this quarter including Brazil, China, Chile, Columbia, Denmark, Egypt, Hungary, Malaysia, Qatar, South Africa, Thailand and others. Global retail expansion is expected to continue due to the competition retailers face in their home markets.”  Read more:  https://www.luxurydaily.com/global-retailers-entered-25-new-markets-in-q1-accenture/

 

“Walgreens Leads the Mobile Revolution in the Drugstore Industry” by Dale Buss at Brandchannel.  “In addition to its own site, Walgreens is logging traffic at several others that it has acquired since 2010: SkinStore.com, Drugstore.com, Beauty.com and VisionDirect.com. Walgreens says its app downloads leapt 500 percent and doubled last year.”  Read more:  https://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2013/07/09/Walgreens-Mobile-070913.aspx

 

Thanks for reading…

 

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