Chad Moutray is the chief economist for the National Association of Manufacturers and develops forecasts for the manufacturing sector. He previously worked as the chief economist and director of economic research for the Office of Advocacy at the U.S. Small …
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Labor Board Says Drivers Are Not Menards Employees
Menards has avoided another labor law violation with the National Labor Review Board’s decision on Nov. 17 that the retailer accurately categorized its delivery drivers as independent contractors instead of as employees. According to the complaint, drivers contracted by Menards (whether …
Read More »Industry Groups, Retailers, Lawmakers Divided on Tax Reform
The U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 16 passed its tax reform bill, called the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” sending the bill to the Senate for consideration, which is also deliberating its own tax reform bill, The New York …
Read More »True Value Sees Comparable Store Sales Increases in Third Quarter
True Value Co. released its third-quarter financial results Nov. 16, reporting a 3.3 percent increase in comparable store sales. The co-op also reports comparable sales at Destination True Value stores are up 4.2 percent. “We are very pleased to see these …
Read More »Walmart Tests New Pricing Strategy to Boost Online Margins, In-Store Sales
Walmart is testing a pricing strategy to boost margins for online purchases and drive in-store sales, reports The Wall Street Journal. The big-box retailer is selling products online at slightly higher prices than the same product in its stores as …
Read More »Hurricanes Lift Home Depot in Third Quarter
In its third-quarter financial results released Nov. 14, The Home Depot says sales related to hurricanes “positively impacted comparable store sales growth by approximately $282 million.” The big-box home improvement retailer beat analysts’ projections for its overall sales and its comparable store sales …
Read More »Merchandising Chief Out at J.C. Penney to ‘Streamline Decision-Making’
The role of chief merchandising officer has been eliminated at big-box department store J.C. Penney, CNBC reports. The retailer says in its press release that the move is part of an “organizational restructuring to streamline decision-making and promote greater agility …
Read More »Walmart Adding Aisle-Scanning Robots to 50 Stores
Robots are part of Walmart’s strategy for improving its inventory management, as the retailer announces plans to add technologically advanced assistants in 50 U.S. stores, Business Insider reports. The big-box retailer tested the robots at a small number of stores in Arkansas and California earlier …
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