Retail

Black Bison owners acquire Sweet Bay

A popular Fort Smith coffee shop may have new ownership, but the menu and name will remain the same. However, one of the three store locations will close, according to…

NRF: Retail product import growth to remain muted this year

The National Retail Federation (NRF) said it expects import cargo volume to rebound this month slowly, but overall the gains are expected to be small through mid-summer, according to data…

The Supply Side: Sustainability still in focus despite weaker consumer demand

The Conference Board reported in November that record inflation in energy and food categories was shifting consumer preference toward less pricey alternatives and away from more expensive sustainable products. “Even…

Circle K owner buys Big Red convenience store chain

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. announced Monday (Feb. 27) it will acquire 45 fuel and convenience retail sites from Big Red Stores, an Arkansas-based company originally founded in 1997 by Doug and…

Rogers tech company Engine acquires Bentonville firm

Rogers agency Engine, a consumer packaged goods (CPG) omnichannel software business, has acquired software development firm EverTEX Solutions of Bentonville. The company did not disclose the financial details of the transaction….

The Supply Side: Walmart, Sam’s Club battle for business customers

Walmart’s sister company Sam’s Club again finds itself battling the big dog with the recent launch of Walmart Business, an e-commerce site geared to serve large- and small-business customers. When…

Car-Mart misses earnings expectations, beats revenue estimates

Rogers-based America’s Car-Mart Inc. posted a double-digit decline in earnings and a double-digit increase in revenue as winter weather affected sales and vehicle values growth moderated in the third quarter…

Walmart to sell Moosejaw to Dick’s Sporting Goods

Pennsylvania-based Dick’s Sporting Goods announced Wednesday (Feb. 22) it has agreed to acquire outdoor retailer Moosejaw from Walmart Inc. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal is expected to close…

Dillard’s stock price plummets 17%; full year net income up 3.4%

Little Rock-based Dillard’s beat estimates on full year revenue and net income, but lower than expected fourth quarter sales and broad market concerns about consumer spending caused the company’s stock…

Walmart full year revenue beats estimates, net income down 14.6%

Walmart posted full fiscal year net income of $11.68 billion, down 14.6% compared with the previous fiscal year, but revenue and earnings per share beat expectations. The Bentonville-based global retailer…

Leading in omnichannel retail

Many years ago, when I was a buyer for a prominent national catalog retailer, I was fascinated by an emerging new retailing format of selling online by way of a…

The Supply Side: More retailers focusing on healthcare in 2023

Retailers seem to agree that one sector that’s ripe for disruption is healthcare. Multiple companies are making moves to fill the gaps they see by investing in providing health and…

Winery and coffee roasting operation, pre-school planned for Chaffee Crossing

The Fort Chaffee Development Authority (FCRA) Board of Trustees approved the sale of two buildings in the Historic District at Chaffee Crossing for use as winery, cidery and coffee roasting…

Walmart to close some tech hubs and stores, including pickup center in Bentonville

Walmart is closing technology hubs in Austin, Texas, Carlsbad, Calif., and Portland, Ore., with the hundreds of employees at the locations invited to relocate to San Bruno, Calif., or Bentonville….

Car-Mart earnings to decline, revenue to rise in third-quarter fiscal 2023

Rogers-based America’s Car-Mart Inc. is expected to post a double-digit earnings decline and revenue growth in the third quarter of fiscal 2023 amid mixed prices and sales in the used…

Muted holiday sales reduces Walmart’s earnings expectations

Equity market watchers expect lower quarterly earnings from Walmart when the retailer reports fiscal fourth quarter and full-year financials on Friday (Feb. 17). Lukewarm holiday sales are part of why…

E.C. Barton chairman Niel Crowson steps down

Niel Crowson of Jonesboro, long-standing chairman of the board and past president of E.C. Barton and Co., retired as chairman of the board, effective December 2022. Crowson served as president…

The Supply Side: Deloitte report says consumer products industry expects challenging year

A November Deloitte survey found that 70% of consumer food and product manufacturers (CPG) indicated the sector expects this year to be more stressful than in the past five years….

Used car giant CarMax plans first Arkansas superstore along I-49 in Rogers

Used-vehicle retailer CarMax, the largest buyer and seller of used cars in the U.S., hopes to open a superstore location in Rogers, on the city’s south side east of Interstate 49….

California packaging business broadens NWA investment

California-based Berkley International, which designs, manufactures and assembles retail displays and packaging, is investing in its Northwest Arkansas operations with new office space and new equipment. Co-founder and CEO Eric…

Entergy Arkansas unveils ‘Next Generation’ plan; will seek to extend nuclear licenses

Fort Smith business leader John Taylor has died

Car-Mart completes $161.3 million securities transaction

Officials ask public to be on the lookout for bird flu in flocks