“Opening Wednesday:  New Walmart Express Store Across from Missouri Campus” at 4-Traders.  “The approximately 3,700-square-foot Walmart Express store features a pharmacy and offers groceries and general merchandise, including an assortment of fresh produce, dairy and meats, dry goods, consumables, health and beauty aids, over-the-counter medicines and merchandise tailored to the campus.”  Read more

 

“Foot of Snow Wallops Midwest – Leaves Empty Store Shelves Behind” by Lauren Leone-Cross at State Journal Register. “It’s like they’re doing their holiday shopping all over again,” said Mike Greenwood, store manager for Schnucks, 2801 Chatham Road. “They’re not just stocking up on necessities. They’re stocking up on everything from fresh meat to milk and eggs. They’re buying pet food. Everything.” Read more

 

“Credit card breach at Target forces retailers to address security problems” by Thomas Lee at Star-Tribune.  “In the early 2000s, (Target) installed “smart card” technology at all its U.S. stores, designed in part to thwart the kind of security breach that Target is now scrambling to contain. The company said it ultimately abandoned the three-year pilot because no other retailer adopted the technology, which put Target at a disadvantage because the emerging technology slowed down checkout times.” Read more

 

“Cincinnati:  Kroger Buys  NFL Tickets to Avoid Blackout, Gives Away to Veterans” at WCPO.  “In what was a touching moment between two veterans, John Norris, a Vietnam vet, gave his tickets to Brett Bondurant, a veteran of Afghanistan who lost his legs during an attack two years ago. Bondurant just missed receiving tickets.  Norris felt compelled to give his fellow serviceman the tickets when he saw him walk through the door.  “He walked in on his own. When he walked in I knew I had to give him the tickets. That’s why I was standing in line, I had to give him the tickets,” the 62-year-old said.”  See the video / Read more

 

“Indy:  Meijer Buys 1,200 Tickets to Avoid NFL Blackout” at RTV 6 – Indy.  “Meijer understands just how important it is to support the communities where our customers and team members work and live, and are pleased to offer these playoff tickets to local military families as a way of thanking them for all they do,” Co-Chairman Doug Meijer said.”  Read more

 

“Columbus:  Dollar Stores are Everywhere” by Tony Adams at Ledger-Enquirer.  “But there’s more on the way, and plenty of them…”Starting in February, we’re (Dollar General) looking forward to our fiscal year ’14 when we’ll actually open 700 new stores across the country.” Ghassemi noted Dollar General just completed its 24th consecutive year of same-store sales growth…“I think a lot of people don’t understand that we do well in good economic times as well,” she said. “There’s an assimilation that bad economics means that the dollar channel is doing really well.”  Read more

 

“Rite-Aid Same Store Sales +2.9% in December” at Marketwatch.  “For the four weeks ended Dec. 28, 2013, same store sales increased 2.9 percent over the prior-year period. December front-end same store sales increased 1.0 percent.”  Read more

 

“Target hack leaves thousands without access to child support payments” at CBS 6 – Richmond.  “Unfortunately, yes. Clients will not have access to any funds that are typically accessed with their EPPI card” Read more / See the video

 

“Menards Likes Quebec”  “30 representatives of 22 Quebec companies from the hardware and construction materials industries visited Menards…This year’s event was so successful that Menards already invited Quebec to return for a third visit…Quebec is the only foreign government to enjoy privileged access to this retailer.”  Read more

 

 “Etsy:  More Than a Hobby – Time to Make Money” at The Economist.  “The maker movement can no longer be dismissed as just a bunch of tech-loving amateurs. In November Etsy published a study based on a survey of 5,500 of its American sellers, of whom 88% were women. Although 97% worked from home, 74% said they considered their Etsy shops to be businesses, not hobbies. Although most said they used Etsy to top up earnings from other work, 18% said that it was their full-time job.”  Read more

 

“Selling social media clicks becomes big business” by Martha Mendoza at AP via Charlotte Observer.  “An Associated Press examination has found a growing global marketplace for fake clicks, which tech companies struggle to police. Online records, industry studies and interviews show companies are capitalizing on the opportunity to make millions of dollars by duping social media.  For as little as a half cent each click, websites hawk everything from LinkedIn connections to make members appear more employable to Soundcloud plays to influence record label interest.”  Read more

 

Follow @retaileyeretail