Latest Retail News

Alibaba Strengthens Presence in Thailand With $320 Million Investment

Published in News Briefs
Thursday, 19 April 2018 18:02

Alibaba is investing $320 million in the Thai government’s Eastern Economic Corridor, according to Reuters. The deal will strengthen the presence Alibaba already has established in Thailand through Lazada, one of the nation’s largest e-Commerce businesses. Alibaba will serve as a digital hub that connects Thai agricultural products to the…

Project44 Raises $35 Million Funding Round Amid Global Expansion

Published in Financial News
Thursday, 19 April 2018 12:37

Project44, a logistics software provider, has raised $35 million in new funding, the first round since the company’s $10.5 million Series A funding in September 2016. The Chicago-based firm plans to hire 200 employees, adding to its current staff of 80, and expand its North American rail, trucking and parcel services into ocean shipping and the European and Asian markets, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

Amazon Prime Membership Is 100 Million Strong, Beating Analyst Estimates

Published in News Briefs
Thursday, 19 April 2018 11:36

For the first time, Amazon has revealed the number of subscribers in its Prime membership program — 100 million in the U.S. In a stunning deviation from typical protocol for Prime-related information, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos disclosed the total in an annual letter to shareholders. In the past, Amazon has…

Wayfair Joins Amazon And Alibaba, Creating Its Own ‘Way Day’ Holiday

Published in News Briefs
Thursday, 19 April 2018 10:58

Wayfair will launch a retail holiday called Way Day, offering deals comparable to Black Friday and free shipping for all orders made on April 25, 2018. The promotion covers more than 70,000 products, with special “doorbuster” deals launching every six hours. Way Day follows in the footsteps of Prime Day,…

Tailored Brands Links Online Shoppers With Live Store Associates And Rich Content

Published in News Briefs
Wednesday, 18 April 2018 17:43

Tailored Brands and its subsidiaries Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank launched a phased rollout of the Men's Wearhouse LIVE! and Jos. A. Bank LIVE! customer service platforms. The retailer partnered with software startup Hero to create the services, which connect online shoppers with live sales associates in the physical…

Whole Foods Halts Rewards Program; Will Amazon Prime Replace It?

Published in News Briefs
Wednesday, 18 April 2018 15:06

There’s been another step in the “Amazon-ification” of Whole Foods Markets. The retailer will end its 365 Rewards program and digital coupons by May 1. An email to members of the loyalty program indicates that it will soon be folded into the Amazon Prime program, according to MarketWatch. In February, Amazon…

The Home Depot Will Hire 1,000 Tech Pros As Part Of $11.1 Billion Investment

Published in Retail Innovaiton
Wednesday, 18 April 2018 14:42

The Home Depot wants to upgrade its technology capabilities, particularly as a means to collect and understand shopper data. The retailer is investing in more than just new tools and solutions, however. Home Depot is hiring approximately 1,000 new technology professionals in 2018 at its primary technology centers in Atlanta, Dallas and Austin, Texas. The Home Depot already has approximately 2,800 employees in technology roles today, but the retailer doesn’t believe that number will be enough to sustain initiatives related to its $11.1 billion, three-year strategic investment plan. The plan’s ambitious goals include:

Best Buy Will Sell Amazon Fire TVs In Exclusive Partnership

Published in News Briefs
Wednesday, 18 April 2018 12:43

Amazon will sell the newest generation of Fire TV Edition smart TVs in Best Buy stores in the U.S. and Canada and on bestbuy.com. The deal is another indication that the e-Commerce giant sees a more significant brick-and-mortar future for its products. Best Buy will launch more than 10 4K…

After Joint Venture Acquisition, Bon-Ton To Enter Liquidation

Published in News Briefs
Wednesday, 18 April 2018 11:04

Bon-Ton Stores will enter liquidation after being acquired by a joint venture composed of bondholders, Great American Group and Tiger Capital Group. A hearing to approve the sale and wind-down is scheduled for April 18, 2018. The value of the winning bid was estimated at $775.5 million, two people familiar…

Brandless Prepares To Launch First Pop-Up Shop In L.A.

Published in Retail Innovaiton
Tuesday, 17 April 2018 14:14
Written by Glenn Taylor

Brandless, the e-Commerce retailer that offers everyday essential products for $3, will host its first pop-up shop in Los Angeles from May 1 to May 13, 2018. The 3,500-square-foot space, called “Pop-Up with Purpose,” is located in West Hollywood at 8483 Melrose Avenue. The pop-up won’t actually sell any Brandless products, but it will keep some on display and offer select samples to consumers throughout the event. The space is designed to present a real-life embodiment of the #BrandlessLife community through live and online streamed content available nationally.

NRF: March Retail Sales Climb 5%, Three-Month Average Jumps 4.8%

Published in News Briefs
Tuesday, 17 April 2018 13:46

Retail sales increased 5% year-over-year in March, with seasonally adjusted month-to-month sales jumping a slight 0.3%, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). The three-month average from January to March increased 4.8% over the same period a year ago. These results are in line with initial NRF forecasts indicating that…

Walmart To Roll Out More Local And Personalized E-Commerce Site In May

Published in News Briefs
Tuesday, 17 April 2018 12:06

The long-awaited Walmart site redesign is almost here. The “new” Walmart.com will start rolling out to shoppers in May, according to a blog post from Marc Lore, President and CEO of Walmart U.S. eCommerce. In the post, Lore outlined three major changes to the site: A new look and feel designed…

Amazon Simplifies International Purchases Of U.S. Goods

Published in News Briefs
Tuesday, 17 April 2018 11:08

Amazon has launched the International Shopping platform on the Amazon Shopping App, allowing shoppers in more than 100 countries to browse over 45 million items from the U.S. The app is currently available in five languages, including Spanish, English, Simplified Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese and German, as well as 25 currencies.…

Meijer Will Expand Shop & Scan Program Chainwide By End Of Summer

Published in News Briefs
Monday, 16 April 2018 17:01

Meijer will introduce its Shop & Scan program at all 235 locations by the end of summer 2018. The initial pilot of the program, which lets shoppers scan and bag groceries as they move through the store, was launched in November 2017. Shop & Scan, which is integrated with the…

As Jet.com Traffic Dwindles, Should Walmart Pivot Focus To Walmart.com?

Published in News Briefs
Monday, 16 April 2018 15:14

Walmart has made a convincing e-Commerce turnaround since acquiring Jet.com in 2016, but the retailer’s focus on the acquired online-only retailer may be wavering. In March 2018, Jet.com traffic dipped approximately 60% compared with a year earlier, according to data from SimilarWeb. In contrast, Walmart.com traffic increased 5% within the…

Bloglovin’ Rebrands As Activate, Names New CEO

Published in Retail Movers & Shakers
Monday, 16 April 2018 14:58

Bloglovin’, an influencer marketing platform, is rebranding itself as Activate. The company’s new name is influenced by the phrase “activating influencers.” The company has also appointed Kamiu Lee, former VP of Business Development & Finance at Bloglovin’, as CEO. With the rebranding, the company also launched Activate Studio, a team of strategists working to bridge the gap between influencers and brands through strategy and technology. Leveraging its Activate technology platform, the team will collaborate with brands to deliver engaging content, strong consumer engagement and measurable results.

Fnac Darty Enhances Voice Shopping Through Google Partnership

Published in News Briefs
Monday, 16 April 2018 12:13

French electronics retailer Fnac Darty will partner with Google to roll out demonstration areas for Google Home products, as part of the retailer’s effort to fend off Amazon. Additionally, the retailer will speed up the integration of its e-Commerce platform with the Google voice assistant. The retailer will dedicate hands-on…

John Varvatos Offers Curated Fashion Through In-Store Pickup

Published in News Briefs
Friday, 13 April 2018 13:10

John Varvatos has launched additional functionality to its e-Commerce site that allows shoppers to browse and reserve items available at their nearest location. The localization capabilities are powered by retail technology startup Radius8. The technology will enable a more curated experience for shoppers at the store: when an associate prepares…

MGA Entertainment CEO Makes Official $890 Million Bid For Toys ‘R’ Us Stores

Published in News Briefs
Friday, 13 April 2018 11:54

Isaac Larian, CEO of MGA Entertainment, placed a formal bid of $675 million for certain U.S. Toys ‘R’ Us stores and a $215 million bid for the retailer’s Canadian locations. The bid includes funding from other investors and banks. The transaction would cover the 274 top-performing Toys ‘R’ Us and…

Walmart To Invest $200 Million In Florida Operations

Published in News Briefs
Thursday, 12 April 2018 13:48

Walmart expects to spend approximately $200 million during the coming year in Florida, opening and remodeling 43 stores in the state while expanding several in-store and online services. The openings and upgrades are part of the approximately $11 billion the retailer will invest in its stores during fiscal 2019. Additionally,…

Sears Puts 16 Stores Up For Sale — Online

Published in News Briefs
Thursday, 12 April 2018 11:12

Sears Holdings is taking a new step to cash in on its real estate. The struggling retailer is auctioning 16 profitable Sears stores on an online auction platform. Cushman & Wakefield, a real estate services firm, is partnering with Real Insight Marketplace to sell the stores. Approximately 200 investor groups…

Fred Segal Opens Sunset Strip-Themed Pop-Up

Published in News Briefs
Wednesday, 11 April 2018 17:59

Clothing and accessories retailer Fred Segal opened “Rock ‘n Roll Holy Land,” a Sunset Strip-themed retail experience, at its store in West Hollywood, Calif. in partnership with Mastercard. The exhibit and pop-up store will offer a glimpse into the history of Sunset Strip and feature merchandise from MadeWorn, an apparel…

Crate And Barrel Selects New Provider Of Credit Cards

Published in News Briefs
Wednesday, 11 April 2018 14:32

Crate and Barrel has selected Synchrony, a leading private label credit card financing company, as its strategic provider of consumer financing. Crate and Barrel and Synchrony will partner on a private label credit card, for use in nearly 100 North American Crate and Barrel stores and all digital channels, and add a…

Investor Group Signs Letter Of Intent To Purchase Bon-Ton Ahead Of Auction

Published in News Briefs
Wednesday, 11 April 2018 11:48

An investor group composed of DW Partners, Namdar Realty Group and Washington Prime Group has submitted a signed letter of intent to acquire Bon-Ton Stores, the retailer said in a statement. The parties agreed on a minimum bid of $128 million in cash and a total number based on Bon-Ton's…

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