Lululemon will test a resale program called "Like New" in California and Texas starting next month, through which customers can trade in used leggings and other workout wear in stores or through the mail for Lululemon gift cards. The retailer is teaming with Trove on the new program, which will likely grow to include online resale in June.
CVS Health will start selling three over-the-counter COVID-19 tests in stores and online that consumers will be able to use at home, the company said Monday. Shoppers will be able to purchase 15-minute tests from Ellume and Abbott Laboratories and a home collection kit from LabCorp that will provide results in one or two days.
BJ's Wholesale Club has elevated longtime executive Bob Eddy from interim to permanent CEO after the sudden death of CEO Lee Delaney. Eddy will now join the company's board and oversee day-to-day operations, with controller Laura Felice being promoted to chief financial officer, Paul Cichocki named chief commercial officer and Bill Werner selected to lead BJ's market expansion and strategic planning efforts.
Gap will expand its workout wear brand Athleta into Canada, marking the brand's first foray outside the US. Athleta will start selling online in Canada this summer before opening two stores there in the fall, as Gap works to build the brand up to $2 billion in annual sales in the next two years.
Retailers: Getting back to business How are retail companies faring after making adjustments based on the pandemic, and what is on their agenda as they move forward into this new era of retail? Watch on-demand as SmartBrief, Hallmark and Farmgirl Flowers discuss where their businesses are picking up and how their goals have evolved over the last year. Watch now.
Whole Foods Market has begun to retrofit 100 of its 500 US stores to begin using a more efficient and environmentally friendly refrigerant called Solstice N40, developed by Honeywell. Mike Ellinger of Whole Foods said the grocer studied several solutions to cut CO2 emissions from refrigerants, and that Solstice was "the clear winner, based on its performance, energy efficiency, reduced GWP [global warming potential] and ease of conversion."
Meijer is teaming with the GRow 1000 summer intern program in Grand Rapids, Mich., pledging $200,000 to pay for 100 interns working at local nonprofits and other businesses, along with hiring 100 interns itself. "Hands-on work experience can make a big impact on a young person's career path and we are pleased to be able to offer that opportunity to 200 Grand Rapids young people this summer," said Rick Keyes, Meijer's president and CEO.
As many around the country celebrate Earth Day this week, it's a good time to think about sustainability and how businesses can make a difference. NRF's Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Scot Case discusses what makes a sustainable brand and what retailers can do to ensure progress and communicate transparently with consumers. Read more.
Apply to be part of the Innovation Lab at NRF 2022: Retail's Big Show in January 2022! This immersive, hands-on tech experience will feature the latest advances in AI, virtual reality, robotics and more. Learn more and apply by May 31. Qualified companies will be contacted after June 15.
Taco Bell is joining with TerraCycle to start recycling the chain's currently nonrecyclable plastic hot sauce packets, which US customers use and discard at a rate of 8.2 billion per year. The pilot program is set to begin later this year, and will include an option for customers to recycle packets from their homes.
