International Business

Coach has hired Demandware to help re-launch its website on a new platform to better serve its omnichannel needs.

Coach says it switched from its previous platform to Demandware’s cloud solution to gain greater business agility and to fuel growth across channels and geographies.

Jackson, Miss. – Fast-casual restaurant chain Newk's Eatery is expanding to Columbia, South Carolina, as part of growth plans that include nearly 30 new corporate and franchised stores in 2015. The Columbia expansion is in partnership with its newest franchisees, Chris and Pam Corn.

The Corns will open their first Newk's in City Market in the Vista in late 2015 and have plans to open two additional locations in Columbia and the surrounding area.

The National Retail Federation and the Retail Industry Leaders Association are celebrating a tentative agreement on a labor dispute that caused problems at 29 West Coast ports.

Retailers have warned for months that the impasse in negotiations was creating an economic challenge, and that a full-scale strike would negatively impact the entire American economy. Farmers and manufacturers were also reporting a heavy toll as agriculture exports suffered and part shortages were leading to factory slowdowns for some automakers.

Chicago -- Skincare products retailer H2O+ announced the appointment of Joy Chen as the company's new president and CEO.

Chen most recently served as the CEO of YES TO Inc. where she managed the YES TO skin and bodycare portfolio’s expansion of North America and International distribution. She brings over 20 years of industry experience and a proven track record of driving sales and profit growth, in demanding, complex turnaround situations.

Nordstrom is doing all the right things when it comes to store traffic, e-commerce and customer service, but it wasn’t enough for Wall Street in the fourth quarter.

Nordstrom’s same store sales grew 4.7% in the fourth quarter; online sales grew to now represent 40% of the store’s business. And just this month the company was ranked No. 1 in the United States in terms of customer service, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Seattle -- Nordstrom Inc.’s fourth-quarter net income fell a lower-than-expected 4.9% to $255 million, down from $268 million a year earlier, even as its same-store sales topped expectations. The profit decline came amid higher costs, including those related to tech upgrades and its acquisition of Trunk Club, and increased promotions at Nordstrom Rack.  

Seattle - Starbucks has launched its Evenings Program in the U.K., offering a range of meals and shareable hot and cold snacks with premium wines and beers. The newly renovated Stansted Airport store in London, operated in partnership with SSP UK, is the first location to offer Starbucks Evenings, with plans to expand the program to additional stores.

Boston -- Gordon Brothers Group, a global advisory, restructuring and investment firm specializing in the retail, consumer products, industrial and real estate sectors, announced the appointment of Ian Levine as managing director, head of business development, and Blair Nelson as managing director, corporate development, to Gordon Brothers Group’s management team.