Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports March Sales Results

The all-important post-Thanksgiving holiday sales period got off to a subdued start at bookstores around the country this year. As expected, foot traffic was light. The National Retail Federation reported the number of in-store shoppers fell 37% on Black Friday compared with last year while the number of customers who shopped only online through the weekend and on Cyber Monday rose by 44% over 2019. Bookshop.org sold some approximately $2.3 million in books over the period from Friday through Monday, according to Andy Hunter, CEO of Bookshop.org. Unsurprisingly, Amazon.com reported it had its best period ever in the company’s history and noted on a blog post that among its bestselling items were several books, including Barack Obama’s A Promised Land (Crown) and The Deep End (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #15) by Jeff Kinney (Abrams/Amulet); both titles were also cited by nearly all the bookstores surveyed by PW. Other bestsellers at Amazon included Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey (Crown), A Time for Mercy by John Grisham (Doubleday), The Sentinel by Lee Child (Delacorte), and Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson (Tor), among adult books, as well as Grime and Punishment (Dog Man #9) by Dav Pilkey (Scholastic/Grafix) in the children’s category.

Walmart Inc. is kicking off its two-day 2023 Investment Community meeting, where leadership will highlight how the company is investing to strengthen its business through its people and an unparalleled, next generation supply chain network of stores, clubs, and fulfillment centers and driving future global growth opportunities across its omnichannel ecosystem and high value initiatives. The company is also reiterating its first quarter and full-year guidance for fiscal year 2024. “We are in a unique position to serve our customers and members however they want to shop, which will fuel continued growth,” said Doug McMillon, Walmart president and chief executive officer. “As we grow, we will improve our operating margin through productivity advancements and our category and business mix, and drive returns through operating margin expansion and capital prioritization.”

1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. announced it plans to hire approximately 8,000 associates nationwide for positions across its gourmet food brands as it prepares for the 2017 holiday shopping season. Interviewing for new hires is now underway for seasonal roles at Harry & David, Cheryl's Cookies and The Popcorn Factory. Available positions vary by brand and include full-time and part-time roles in high-volume areas such as production, gift assembly and retail stores, as well as call center, distribution and fulfillment center operations. Most of the seasonal positions are being offered in Illinois, Ohio and Oregon. Click Read More below for additional detail.