Author: Kim Souza

Kim Souza

The Supply Side: Lessons learned from walking a Walmart store

In his memoir, Walmart founder Sam Walton noted that the customer was the most important person in the business. He spent hours each week walking around his stores, talking to…

Inside the kitchen with Tyson Foods chef Thomas Wenrich

Thomas Wenrich fell in love with food at age 15 while working in a small restaurant in his hometown of Hebron, Conn. As a teenager, he was hooked immediately. His…

Retailers win class-action settlement with Visa, Mastercard over swipe fees

U.S. retailers and merchants reached a settlement over swipe fees with Visa and Mastercard that is expected to reduce swipe fees over the next five years by $29.79 billion. Through…

Gaskins on Emma, Daily Beet among new restaurants planned in Northwest Arkansas

Growth in Northwest Arkansas continues to draw interest from retail and restaurant companies. More than 10 retailers and restaurants sought permits in the first two months of this year, and…

Northwest Arkansas sales tax revenue sees small gain in March report

Consumer spending on goods and services in Benton and Washington counties was flat in January with sales tax revenue in the top four cities totaling $8.734 million, up 0.62% from…

The Supply Side: Hybrid shopping experience ‘is not going to go away’

Five years ago, omnichannel — multiple methods to reach consumers — was a retailer’s choice. Still, following a pandemic that changed the landscape for many economic sectors, the hybrid shopping…

FTC: Giant retailers, suppliers, wholesalers use pandemic to boost profits

A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report finds that large food and beverage retailers posted income gains during the height of the pandemic and continue to do so, calling into question…

NRF: Consumer spending expected to normalize in 2024

Consumer retail spending is estimated at $5.23 trillion in 2024, excluding automobiles and fuel, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). The trade group expects sales growth between 2.5% and…

Easter spending estimated to be $22.4 billion, down from 2023

Consumers are expected to pull back spending for the Easter holiday doling out $22.4 billion on baskets, cards, spring fashion, flowers and holiday foods, according to the National Retail Federation…

Aldi tops among expanded chains in 2023; Family Dollar to close 1,000 stores

According to the 2024 Grocery Report from JLL, the fastest-growing grocery store chains added 253 new U.S. locations in 2023, or around 8.4 million square feet of new retail space….

U.S. retail sales, inflation rise in February

The National Retail Federation (NRF) said consumers continued to spend on goods and services in February pushing retail sales up 6.3% from a year ago. Inflation rose 3.2% during the…

Tyson Foods closing Iowa pork plant; company also settles wage-fixing lawsuit

Tyson Foods is closing a pork plant in Perry, Iowa. The Springdale-based meat giant is eliminating 1,200 jobs, with the closure slated for June 28. The plant slaughters about 9,000…

The Supply Side: Product Connections helps brands bridge in-store, online

Located in Bentonville, Product Connections is a stone’s throw from Walmart’s new corporate campus, which is under construction. There, the full-service marketing firm uses technology to create in-store promotions, demo…

Tyson Foods’ investment arm opens application for next Demo Day

Tyson Ventures, the investment arm of Springdale-based Tyson Foods, is gearing up for its third annual Demo Day on July 17. This year’s event will focus on supply chain technology…

Clark: Walmart focused on people and technology for future success

According to Cedric Clark, executive vice president of store operations for Walmart’s U.S. segment, people and technology are the secret sauce that will propel the retailer’s success in the future….

The Supply Side: The Barcode Group pulls six businesses into one brand

The Barcode Group in Bentonville has integrated six retail industry businesses under one brand. Portu Sunberg, Belmont Partners, Infinity Worlds, Retell, Avenue C, and Tana now make up The Barcode…

Luxury retail sales expected to be flat in 2024

Higher-income households that comprise the majority of luxury retail sales remain optimistic about the economy, but that is not translating to more sales in the near term, according to a…

Walton family sells $1.5 billion of stock in recent transaction

The Walton family continues to sell Walmart stock to keep its holding below 50% of the total stock. Last week ahead of the 3:1 stock split, Walton Family Holdings Trust…

Retail restaurant expansion continues in Northwest Arkansas

At least 10 new eateries and beverage establishments are adding new locations in Benton and Washington counties according to recent permits filed with the Arkansas Department of Health filed. Weinerschnitzel…

The Supply Side: Retail cargo theft escalated 57% in 2023

With retailers working to reduce theft in stores, the problem continues to grow in the supply chain as cargo thefts escalated 57% last year, according to CargoNet, a subsidiary of…