More than 1,000 U.S. retailers could be infected with malicious software lurking in their cash register computers, allowing hackers to steal customer financial data, the Homeland Security Department said Friday. The government urged businesses of all sizes to scan their point-of-sale systems for software known as “Backoff,” discovered last October. It previously explained in detail […] Continue reading → 
Bill Gunderson US retail sales fell flat on their faces last month. It was their worst reading in six months. I have been steering clear of retail stocks for some time now. Most retail names these days have horrible charts. Your teenaged daughter may disagree. “Dad, can I please have, like, fifty dollars and a […] Continue reading → 
Dollar General Corp. offered $9.7 billion for Family Dollar Stores Inc., (FDO) challenging Dollar Tree Inc. (DLTR)’s agreed $8.5 billion takeover of the discount retailer. Dollar General plans to pay $78.50 a share in cash, compared with Dollar Tree’s bid of $74.50 a share in cash and stock, the Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based company said today in […] Continue reading → 
Wal-Mart’s supercenters are struggling as consumers increasingly choose convenience stores over one-stop shops. The retail giant’s mega stores suffered a .3% same-store sales decline in the second quarter compared with last year. During the same period, foot traffic for Wal-Mart’s U.S. stores fell by 1.1%. By comparison, Wal-Mart’s smaller-format stores, or Neighborhood Markets, generated same-store […] Continue reading → 
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT)’s latest struggles to revive U.S. sales, following a disappointing Commerce Department report earlier this week, add to evidence that the economy isn’t recovering as quickly as expected. The company posted stagnant same-store sales today in its second-quarter earnings report, marking the sixth straight period of no growth. The world’s largest retailer […] Continue reading → 
Kicking Off Make-Or-Break Holiday Season For Retailers Let the games begin. The pundits have weighed in on the back-to-school shopping period, which means one thing is certain: The kickoff to the winter holidays, retailers’ make-or-break selling season, has officially begun. Here’s a snapshot of back-to-school forecasts based in part on shopper surveys. Accenture, the global management […] Continue reading → 
Doug Giles In the last couple of weeks my cigar company has had a hell of a time trying to find a credit card processing company that’ll do recurring revenue charges for my customers who’d like to get an automated, monthly dose of one of the finest cigars on this planet, our Safari Cigar. As […] Continue reading → 
Wal-Mart, in its latest bid to compete with nemesis Amazon.com, is rebuilding its website to further personalize the online shopping experience of each customer. Wal-Mart is rolling out a feature that will enable its website to show shoppers more products that they may like, based on their previous purchases. It also will customize Wal-Mart’s home […] Continue reading → 
With many Americans keeping a lid on spending, industry forecasters say the back-to-school season won’t be as strong as last year and are giving it a B- average. Once again, U.S. retailers are being forced to pour on the discounts because recent economic bright spots — more jobs, stronger growth — aren’t enough to persuade […] Continue reading → 
Dollar Tree is buying rival discount store Family Dollar in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $8.5 billion. Stockholders of Family Dollar Stores will receive $59.60 in cash and the equivalent of $14.90 in shares of Dollar Tree for each share they own. The companies put the value of the transaction at $74.50 per share, […] Continue reading → 
When you look at your neighbor’s yard this summer, perhaps you can’t help but think, “The grass is always greener on the other side.” Well, don’t despair. I have some tips for growing green lawns, including the proper use of lawn fertilizers, that will make it easy for you to gain some respect for your own […] Continue reading → 
Receipt printers are more than just handy items to have around your shop they are also important items. These printers offer you the ability to keep receipts for yourself or to give out receipts to customers, both of which are important to all small businesses. This blog is going to explore the importance of receipt […] Continue reading → 
Michael Schaus Well… I’m starting to run out of places to shop. Target Corporation (TGT) made the announcement on Wednesday that they have acquiesced to the Bloomberg fanatics who believe no-one should be armed while shopping. The company (politely) asked customers to keep their guns at home the next time they wander in for a […] Continue reading → 
Jeff Jacoby I’VE ALWAYS taken a dim view of wedding gift registries, on the principle that greed is bad and greed masquerading as courtesy is worse. But I relented, just for a moment, when I read about the public’s reaction after learning that Jon Meis, the Seattle Pacific University student who disarmed a killer during […] Continue reading → 
Obama determined to stop banks from doing business with firearms retailers Senator Rand Paul is attempting to prevent the Obama administration from making an end run around the Constitution. On Thursday Paul introduced legislation to amend the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for the 2015 budget. The amendment would prohibit the federal […] Continue reading →