News Briefs

When it comes to buying home appliances, stores win out.

Nearly three-fourths (71%) of home appliance purchases happen in-store and 75% of appliance purchases occur on the first visit to the store, according to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Appliance Satisfaction Study. Though 29% of purchases take place online, most shoppers still want to see the appliance in person.

In other findings, Menards ranks highest (887) in customer satisfaction among appliance retailers, followed  by The Home Depot (867) and Best Buy (865).

“This year’s data shows us that 56% of home appliance shoppers are doing their research online before heading in store to purchase,” said Christina Cooley, home intelligence lead at J.D. Power. “Though price is almost always going to be the main driver of whether someone decides to purchase an appliance or not, one-third of buyers did not purchase because they were seeking specific options and features and one-fifth indicated they couldn’t purchase, as their desired appliance wasn’t in stock.”

The 2023 Appliance Satisfaction Study is based on 21,062 evaluations from customers who purchased home appliances during the past 12 months. The study was fielded from December 2022 through March 2023.

For more information about the J.D. Power Appliance Satisfaction Study, click here .

 

A luxury fashion brand opened the doors to a new store in Hong Kong — and more are on the way.

Following a two-year hiatus and reinvention of the brand’s business model, Diane von Furstenberg (DVF) is recharging its Asia-Pacific expansion with the opening of a new store in Hong Kong’s Harbour City shopping center. The approximately 1,000-sq.ft. store features a spacious and elegant interior design that includes a flowing glass curtain wall, water mill marble flooring, and gold-plated titanium display racks that create a stylish and refined atmosphere. 

Carefully segmented display spaces are used to showcase the designer’s latest collections. One of these spaces highlights DVF's iconic black and white Chainlink print — a signature graphic that evolved from the founder’s personal signature.  

"This boutique is a significant milestone for the brand in the Asia-Pacific region, and we hope to bring a new shopping experience to Hong Kong's fashion consumers," said Jessie Chen, DVF global partner and president of DVF China.

The opening marks the jump-start of DVF's continued expansion  in the Asia-Pacific market, with an emphasis on the Greater China region. Specifically, DVF plans to open two more locations in China. The first will be a 1,154 sq.ft. location opening in September in The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian in Macao, a luxury shopping center that features more than 360 stores. A 2,081 sq.ft. location will follow in December at The Londoner  Macao, a casino resort on Macau’s Cotai Strip. 

DVF has been operating both traditional retail stores and an e-commerce site in China’s mainland for more than a decade, according to the company.
 

Ahold Delhaize USA said that John Ruane has been named brand president of The Giant Company. He has served as interim president of the chain since the departure of Nick Bertram in September 2022.

Prior to being appointed interim president, Ruane served as senior VP and chief commercial officer for The Giant Company, leading the merchandising and marketing teams to develop and implement customer-centric strategies that support the continued growth of the brand, while also improving customers’ experience and the overall value proposition, the company said.

Ruane started his career in the grocery industry at age 14 at Foodtown in New Jersey, where he worked through college. He later joined Pathmark and held positions of increasing responsibility at retail and in merchandising before joining Ahold Delhaize USA companies in 2011 and Giant in 2018. 

“We have been fortunate to have John lead The Giant Company as interim Brand President during a time of transition, and we are excited about this next step in his career,” said JJ Fleeman, CEO, Ahold Delhaize USA. “He has led the team during a very important time in the company’s history as it celebrates its 100-year anniversary this fall. John is a leader who cares deeply about his team and serving customers. He will continue to drive strong performance and advance many of the hallmarks of The Giant Company brand, including growth in its local markets, innovation in operations and a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as health and sustainability.”

The Giant Company, headquartered in Carlisle, Pa., has193 stores, 132 pharmacies, 107 fuel stations and over 180 online pickup hubs and grocery delivery services, with operations across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and New Jersey. 

An veteran retailer with more than 30 years of leadership experience in the operational supply chain and logistics industry has joined Starbucks Corp.’s supply chain team.   

The coffee giant has appointed Arthur Valdez as executive VP, global supply and customer relations. Valdez recently retired from Target Corp., where he served for seven years as executive vice president and chief supply chain and logistics officer, overseeing all functions of Target’s global supply chain and logistics network.

Prior to Target, Valdez spent nearly 17 years at Amazon, with roles that included VP operations international expansion (supply chain, fulfillment centers, transportation, and VP worldwide transportation.

Valdez  has spent his career building customer experience network solutions and solving problems across many key business areas – from product inventory management, retail store operational efficiency, manufacturing, distribution and fulfillment to transportation, Starbucks said in post on its website. These geographical networks span North, South and Central America, as well as across Europe and Asia.

 

Walmart wants to help educate its employees and customers about important financial topics.

The retail giant has teamed up with Khan Academy as its founding sponsor to offer a new, free financial literacy course for its employees, customers and communities. (Khan Academy is an American non-profit educational organization with a mission to provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.).

The virtual course offers articles, videos and exercises designed to master personal finance skills, which can help strengthen financial capabilities, reduce stress and make choices that lead to a healthier financial future, the company said. 

“With a reported 72% of Americans feeling stressed about money during the previous month, we know providing access to personal finance resources is more important now than ever,” wrote Kim Lupo, VP, global total rewards, Walmart, in a post on the retailer’s website.  

The course is designed to take participants from familiarity to mastery by using a learn-at-your-own-pace, classroom-style approach. Several key financial topics are covered in the comprehensive training, including:

• Budgeting and saving; 
• Consumer credit; 
• Financial goals; 
• Loans and debt; 
• Insurance; 
• Investments and retirement; 
• Scams and fraud; 
• Careers and education; and 
• Taxes 

“Our partnership with Khan Academy is an example of one of the many commitments we’re making to invest in financial tools to help people live better,” Lupo said. “We believe offering these unique financial offerings will empower people to live their best lives – in and out of the workplace.”

 

Costco Wholesale Corp. is thinking big in California.

The membership warehouse club retailer is proposing to build a location in Fresno, Calif., that would include a main building of more than 241,000 sq.ft., with 47,000 sq. ft. dedicated to a market delivery operation of large and bulky items, reported gvwire.com. If approved and built, it would the largest Costco to date. (A 235,000 sq. ft. Costco in Salt Lake City currently holds the title.)

The 22.4-acre site in Fresno would also include a Costco gas station with 32 fuel pumps and an automated car wash. A total of 889 parking stalls are planned, the report said.  The store would replace a smaller Costco in Fresno that is located less than three miles away.

A draft environmental impact report for the project was recently approved by the city of Fresno’s Planning & Development Department for a 45-day public comment period through August 25. 

Costco operates 855 warehouses, including 587 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 107 in Canada, 40 in Mexico, 32 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 18 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, four each in China and Spain, two in France, and one each in Iceland, New Zealand and Sweden. Costco also operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Australia.