Tag Archives: macy’s

Walmart ditches Express and lagging stores

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There’s a big bag of woe in retail as the third major merchant in little more than a week announces store closings.

Walmart says it will close 269 stores in 2016, as the world’s largest tries to improve its finances.

imagesMost of the underperformers are sited within 10 miles of another Walmart. Of the stores on the chopping block, 154 locations are in the United States; two-thirds of those are the smaller “Walmart Express” stores, a pilot program that failed to get off the ground.

Only 12 U.S. Walmart Supercenters will close, along with four Sam’s Club stores. Most of the foreign closings will be in Brazil.

Of the 16,000 employees impacted, 10,000 work in U.S. stores. The company plans to place those workers in nearby Walmarts. Employees who don’t find a place will get 60 days’ severance and training in job hunting.

Walmart stock swooned 30 percent last year in tough times for retailers. Macy’s and Kmart also recently announced significant store closings.

Blue lights going dark at Kmarts

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Attention Kmart shoppers:

Dozens of stores are closing as the retailer in cutting its losses. So far, Kmart is planning liquidation sales at stores in California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Ohio, South Dakota,  Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin and Hawaii, with more to come.

Kmart in Washington Township is one of more than 100 Kmart and Sears full-line stores that will be closed following an announcement from Sears Holdings in December.

Kmart in Washington Township is one of more than 100 Kmart and Sears full-line stores that will be closed following an announcement from Sears Holdings in December.

“Store closures are part of a series of actions we’re taking to reduce ongoing expenses, adjust our asset base and accelerate the transformation of our business model,” says  Howard Reifs, director, corporate communications, for Sears Holdings, Kmart’s parent company. “These actions will better enable us to focus our investments on serving our customers and members through integrated retail – at the store, online and in the home.”

It’s part of an initiative announced by Sears to shutter at least 100 Kmart and Sears locations in the U.S. after ice-cold holiday sales in electronics and apparel. The announcement comes days after Macy’s revealed it would close stores in response to lackluster sales.

Customers with layaway contracts at Kmart have the option of paying off the contract early or transferring their layaways to a neighboring store or online. Store staffers will receive severance pay and can apply for positions at surviving Sears or Kmart stores.

Macy’s to shutter 40 stores

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After a cheerless holiday shopping season, Macy’s announced it will close 40 of its worst performing department stores.

550px-Macys_dep_storeMacy’s has been disappointing investors for five consecutive quarters. So why are shoppers putting less in those bright red bags with the big white stars?

Analysts say middle- and upper-end department stores are lagging the field, while speciality retailers, such as Barnes and Noble, are faring better than expected. Meanwhile, TJ Maxx and other discounters are ringing up sales that traditionally would have gone to Macy’s.

Weather and tourism also were factors. Sales of outerwear swooned in a balmy autumn and winter. And the stronger U.S. dollar discouraged European tourists from loading up on clothes and accessories, especially at Macy’s flagship store in New York’s Herald Square.

Macy’s operates more than 900 stores under its Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury marquees.

Want dinner in a hurry? Bring in the Ninja 3-in-1 Cooker pronto

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Hey, we are sure in a hurry at this time of year. We work. We shop. We decorate. We take care our loved ones. We squeeze in as many parties as we can.

And, hey, are we ever hungry!

We need a hero, as in the Ninja 3-in-1 Cooker. This latest must-have in the arsenal of small appliances looks like a slow cooker, but it can do much more. In fact, it’s possible to make complete meals in 30 minutes flat with this one worker bee countertop appliance.

All you need to do is layer the main course, veggies, and pasta or rice inside the pot. The Ninja does the work, cooking evenly in half an hour. Time to ring the dinner bell!

The steam oven feature makes it easy to make healthy, low-fat fare.  The heated steam captures natural juices, while fat drips away.  What about dessert? Cupcakes, cakes and other sweets can be steam baked in the Ninja using half the butter or oil. Reminds me of the wonderful steaming that produces figgy pudding.

Ninja also helps to clean up. The cooker has both stovetop and slow-cook settings, allowing  cooks to sear and brown meats and vegetables before slow-cooking. No separate pan, no spattering  pot dirtying up your stovetop.

The Ninja makes a great Christmas gift for the foodie on your list. You also might want to press it into service on Christmas Day if you are hosting a large gathering and are making oodles of food. The cooker is a super supplement to your cooktop, ovens and microwave, producing a perfect roast or ham without fuss or muss.

Expect to pay about $160 for the Ninja. You will find it at such retail friends as Target, Macy’s, Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond and Sears.