Author: Kim Souza

Kim Souza

Walmart requiring all suppliers to move to Luminate data service

Walmart is requiring all of its suppliers to subscribe to its Luminate data service beginning in October. Luminate is Walmart’s newest way to share data with suppliers – data that…

Survey: Supply chain managers push for better systems, inventory control

The overwhelming majority of supply chain managers said they faced challenges in the past year, and most of them took steps to improve operations, according to a new survey from…

Numerator: Amazon’s pre-holiday sale indicates cautious spending

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sales held Oct. 10-11 did not match Amazon Prime Day in July but it did outperform the company’s other previous sales promotions. according to data…

The Supply Side: Retail shrink is more than theft, may be overstated

The media headlines in the past several months have featured retailers like Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Dollar Tree blaming retail “shrink” for poor financial results. According to Brand Elverston,…

Walmart to build $350 million milk plant in Georgia

Walmart is betting big on another milk plant it plans to build in Georgia. The Valdosta operation will be the second such facility the retail giant owns following a similar…

NRF: U.S. economy ‘more resilient’ than expectations

The U.S. economic picture heading toward the holiday season is not perfect, according to Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist for the National Retail Federation (NRF). The trade group has not released expectations…

The Supply Side: Early read on holiday sales expectations is cautious

Retailers often live and die by holiday sales. Early predictions suggest lackluster overall spending this year, with growth barely outpacing higher prices. Deloitte forecasts holiday retail sales to grow between…

Walmart exec shares insights on leadership, operations

Greg Cathey, senior vice president of transformation at Walmart, had plans to go law school after graduating from Ouachita Baptist University in 1995, but instead gambled on a career in…

The Supply Side: ‘Super retailers’ see fewer shopping trips, longer visits

This year has been challenging for super retailers Costco, Target and Walmart. Through the first half of 2023, the financial contrasts between the companies were stark, as are the predicted…

Tyson Foods cuts 250 jobs in North Carolina, chicken inventories rise

Tyson Foods is again shrinking the size of its poultry business by cutting 250 jobs in a Wilkesboro, N.C., plant that makes cooked chicken products. Springdale-based Tyson reduced the second…

Survey: Majority of consumers remain worried by high food prices

A new report from 201 Analytics and Circana found that 94% of consumers are worried about the cost of food. But behaviors around eating are starting to shift with consumers…

Northwest Arkansas sales tax revenue rises 5.68% in September report

Through the first nine reporting months of 2023, Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers and Springdale had sales tax revenue of $84.545 million, up 10.18% from the same period last year. The cities…

The Supply Side: Aldi pushes to grow market share in southeast U.S.

Despite tough competition from Walmart and other regional players like Publix, Aldi USA is making a big bet to try and take market share in the southeastern United States. The…

Retailers hope for a big Halloween with sales forecast at $12.2 billion

The National Retail Federation (NRF) says Halloween spending could reach a record $108.24 per person and total $12.2 billion, up 15% from a year ago. The NRF expects 73% of…

HRG, Woodridge venture wants to help Walmart suppliers manage costly deductions

Revenue deduction help has been available for large Walmart suppliers through companies like Harvest Revenue Group (HRG). But for smaller suppliers, auditing defense against the world’s largest retailer was too…

The Supply Side: Walmart Marketplace aims to attract more third-party sellers

Retail is about assortment, and Walmart Marketplace — an online portal for sellers — is looking for more third-party suppliers to provide a suite of services to sellers while also…

August retail sales up 3.2% from year ago, consumers ‘remain steadfast’

Retail sales struggled to outpace the rate of inflation in August, rising 2.5% overall, against a federal Consumer Price Index (CPI) reading up 3.7% for the same month, according to…

Consumer inflation rose 3.7% in August from a year ago

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) – the gauge for inflation – was up 3.7% from a year ago, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The energy index rose…

Tyson Foods makes $2.5 million donation to Feeding America

Meat giant Tyson Foods of Springdale announced Wednesday (Sept. 13) a $2.5 million donation to Feeding America and 2.5 million pounds of protein to help communities experiencing the highest rates…

U.S. retail imports remain down from year-ago through July

Retailers continued to take a cautious approach to ordering holiday inventory given the oversupply some are still working through from the 2022 holiday season. Import volume is slowly building from…