Retail

Solid quarter, year and decade for Murphy USA

It was a good quarter, a good year and a good decade for Murphy USA. The El Dorado-based, publicly-traded gas and convenience store chain spun off into its own publicly-traded…

Walmart general counsel Karen Roberts leaves the company

Karen Roberts, general counsel for Walmart Inc., is leaving the retail giant. Her departure ends a 27-year career that saw her rise to the rank of executive vice president, a…

Valentine’s Day spending estimated to be $25.9 billion

Consumers plan to spend big for Valentine’s Day totaling an estimated $25.9 billion, up 8.36% from a year ago, according to a National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics…

Slim Chickens opens 26th Arkansas store; plans to open 80 worldwide in 2023

Fayetteville-based restaurant chain Slim Chickens opened its 26th Arkansas store on Monday (Jan. 30) with a second Springdale location at 401 S. Thompson Street. The restaurant officially opened at 10:30…

The Supply Side: Retail store closures, openings expected to escalate this year

The retail sector was stable in 2022 after 9,300 retail store closures in 2019 before the pandemic and another 1,800 closures reported through mid-2021. But UBS analysts predict store closures…

Sam’s Club to build 30 new clubs, expand fulfillment network

Sam’s Club, the warehouse club division owned and operated by Walmart Inc., announced Thursday (Jan. 26) plans to build 30 new U.S. locations. A timeline was not disclosed, but Sam’s…

State of the State 2023: Retail sector embraces economic uncertainty

Coming from record sales and a climate where consumers had extra money to spend, retailers are bracing for a year of transition amid a possible slowing economy, rising interest rates…

Barnes & Noble to return to Jonesboro

When the pandemic enveloped the world in March of 2020, book lovers in Jonesboro were dealt a double blow. At the end of the same month during the same year,…

Walmart raises minimum hourly wage for store employees to $14

Walmart said Tuesday (Jan. 24) it will raise the starting and minimum wage for all employees who work in stores to $14 per hour beginning next month. Walmart spokesman Jimmy…

Walmart delivering via drone in 7 states

Bentonville-based retailer Walmart Inc. said recently it now operates, with its vendors, 36 drone delivery hubs in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Utah and Virginia. “I’m incredibly proud of…

The Supply Side: IGD names Walmart’s top 5 tech innovations in 2022

Besides being the nation’s largest retailer, Walmart is slowly becoming a technology company. The Bentonville-based retail titan spent big on technology innovations last year in hopes of adding additional revenue…

Consumer spending slowed in December, holiday sales miss estimates

Consumer spending has slowed since October according to retail sales data released Jan. 18 from the U.S. Census Bureau. Retail sales in December were down 1.1% from the prior month,…

Food inflation continues to pressure consumer households

Consumers are still paying an average of 11.8% more for the food bought at U.S. grocery stores compared to the same time last year, according to the December Consumer Price…

Economists say decline in used vehicle prices may not spur demand

Used vehicle prices in the United States are expected to moderate as rising interest rates and new vehicle supply impact used vehicle demand, according to vehicle market economists. However, used…

The Supply Side: Retail suppliers, manufacturers expect continued challenges in 2023

Retail suppliers expect many challenges from 2022 to persist well into 2023, with slower growth predictions that could lead to continued price inflation. Suppliers continue to face logistics disruptions despite…

Onyx, NBA All-Star collaborate on coffee

An international partnership led Rogers-based Onyx Coffee Lab to team up with NBA player Jimmy Butler for a limited-release, competition-level coffee. Onyx co-founder Jon Allen said Butler reached out to…

Early report finds U.S. holiday sales grew 7.6%

An early report on holiday spending from Mastercard SpendingPulse indicates holiday sales (excluding automobiles) rose 7.6% between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24. The report measures in-store and online retail sales…

Murphy USA donates $25 million to its charitable foundation

El Dorado-based Murphy USA announced Thursday (Dec. 29) that its board of directors approved a $25 million donation to the Murphy USA Charitable Foundation. The foundation funds will support community…

ARcare buys Polk Pharmacy in England

Augusta-based ARcare has acquired Polk Pharmacy in England, Arkansas. Terms of the private transaction were not disclosed. Owned by Scott Polk since 1992 when he purchased Danley Drug, the pharmacy…

The Supply Side: Walmart exec Julie Barber talks retail inventory issues, inflation

Julie Barber, Walmart’s executive vice president of general merchandise, said the retailer continues to face an overabundance of inventory in some categories and inflationary pricing pressures. She said the company…