Walmart has revamped its assortment of products, including clothing and electronics. Walmart’s US sales at stores open for at least a year jumped 5.3% year-over-year in Q3 to $114.9 billion as its operating income surged by 8.2% during the quarter to beat Wall Street expectations. The retail giant attributed 75% of its quarterly gains to … Read more
Cosmetics brand Lush says it is laying off staff as it scales down operations at its Vancouver facilities. Amanda Caruso, a spokesperson for the U.K.-based brand, refused to say how many workers will lose their jobs as part of cuts to the company’s Canadian footprint, citing privacy concerns. However, she confirmed the scale-down will mean closing a … Read more
Quebec’s Alimentation Couche-Tard started with one store in 1980. Now, the retailer stands a serious chance of taking over the largest operator of convenience stores in the world: 7-Eleven. Currently, 7-Eleven’s more than 84,000 locations across the globe are owned by Japanese retailer giant, Seven & i Holdings, which rejected an offer worth $38.5 billion … Read more
Lawrence Barker says he’s frustrated that cashiers at major grocery stores he shops at no longer voluntarily bag his goods. Barker finds bagging a hassle, as he feels pressured to quickly pack items into his reusable bags before the next customer’s goods slide down the conveyor belt. So he opts for self-checkout, where he can bag at … Read more
Cost of Living9:09Is it time to retire the seniors’ discount? Whether she’s attending a chamber performance or playing in one, cellist and teacher Laura Backstrom says one thing is pretty consistent — the audience “looks like a sea of white hair,” she says. In contemplating why that is, Backstrom, 60, said she initially thought it was because seniors … Read more
Walmart Canada said on Thursday it invested $53 million to increase hourly wages for about 40,000 of its store associates earlier this month. The move comes at a time when Walmart has been increasing investments over the last few months for its U.S. store workers to retain more employees. The retailer raised the annual average … Read more
Canadian retailer Loblaw Cos. Ltd.’s net income fell 10 per cent in the second quarter from the same time last year, a decrease that the company attributed primarily to charges related to the settlement of class action lawsuits. Income in the second quarter fell to $457 million, or $1.48 per share, from $508 million, or $1.58 per … Read more
Thousands of Ontario liquor store employees will walk off the job Friday after contract negotiations between the LCBO and its workers broke down, the workers’ union says. Representatives of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) blamed Premier Doug Ford’s government for the breakdown at a news conference Thursday evening, just hours before the midnight strike deadline … Read more
Canadian retailer Hudson’s Bay Co. will buy luxury department store rival Neiman Marcus for $2.65 billion US, the company said Thursday. The deal was announced after months of speculation that HBC would buy the chain, whose website lists 36 U.S. locations selling designer apparel, accessories and housewares. HBC plans to group Neiman Marcus with its other international assets, including … Read more
Target plans to crack down on retail theft by lowering the threshold for how much shoplifters can swipe before employees are allowed to finally step in, according to a report. The Minnesota-based big box retail chain — which has blamed retail theft for hurting its bottom line — instructed store staff to halt bandits who … Read more
