Articles by Brianna Ahearn

31. Dollar General Raises Bid In The Battle For The Dollar Market 9/5/2014

    In the midst of the battle of the discount stores, Dollar General has raised its bid for Family Dollar to $9.1 million this week. The Wall Street Journal also reports talk has turned to a hostile takeover if the board doesn't agree to the merger. Family Dollar had previously rejected an offer from Dollar General, because of the deal they previously agreed to with Dollar Tree. Analysts are predicting Family Dollar will accept the new bid from Dollar General, which works out to $80.00 per share. The bid also comes with the agreement to close a number of stores and new provisions to assure Family Dollar if anti-trust issues arise.

32. Macy's Launches “My Wallet” To Manage Payment Options, Digital Coupons 9/5/2014

    Digital wallets are a new innovation retailers are scrambling to make available for their customers, because they offer the option to access payment options on a smartphone or tablet for the “on the go” consumer.  Macy's is the newest store to add the option with a new digital wallet. On August 26, the company introduced My Wallet for Macy's customers to allow them to organize their payment options.  My Wallet is a browser-based online application that can be accessed both by in-store and online shoppers. The application also includes Macy's digital coupons, so consumers can maximize their savings.

33. Dollar General Makes Bid To Acquire Family Dollar 8/21/2014

    Dollar Tree purchased Family Dollar this month for a reported $8.5 billion and created a merger than resulted in more than 13,000 stores. Now a competitor is making moves to acquire Family Dollar.

34. Barnes & Noble, Google Partner For Same-Day Shipping 8/18/2014

    Barnes and Noble, a popular book and media retailer, announced it has entered into a partnership with Google. Google recently added the company to the offerings on Google Shopping Express, a same-day shipping service allowing consumers to shop for goods locally and have them delivered to their door. The offering is a unique partnership of brick-and-mortar stores from a consumer's local area.

35. CVS Caremark Faces Tobacco Refusal Reality 8/18/2014

    In February 2014, CVS Caremark announced it would cease selling cigarettes and tobacco products in its stores. Now, in August, the effects of their decision have come to light. The company's latest earning report shows a loss of $2 billion dollars in the wake of the tobacco removal. CVS Caremark stores are allowed to sell tobacco products until October, and some analysts report a portion of the lost revenue may be from stores who are not replenishing their sold cigarettes.

36. Walmart Launches Price Comparison Tool, Integrating Consumer Savings With Technology 8/14/2014

    Walmart recently launched its savings program, Savings Catcher, by implementing an e-commerce website and mobile app. Savings Catcher allows consumers to compare prices with the retailer and its competitors to find the lowest price on a variety of goods. The program was beta-tested in several stores and has now rolled out nationwide.  This month, produce was added to the available Savings Catcher categories.

37. Amazon Incentivizes Customers To Choose No-Rush Shipping 8/8/2014

    Amazon recently added a new incentive for its consumers when it comes to shipping, an article in the Huffington Post reported.  The company has announced Prime members who choose “No-Rush Shipping” for any order will receive a $1 credit to be used on Amazon’s Instant Video library on most titles.

38. Amazon Rumored To Release Card Reader, Compete With Square 8/1/2014

    Amazon launched their gift card and loyalty card mobile app Amazon Wallet this month and now rumors have appeared the retailer is preparing to release its own Square-like card reader. A popular Mac blog, 9to5 Mac, has obtained documentation showing Staples will stock an “Amazon card reader” along with the Square card reader in August.