Marketing

Seattle – If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Amazon.com is reportedly heeding that old saw with plans to open a store on the Tmall site of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Holding Group.

Twenty retail industry professionals dreaming of making it big in the retail industry have a unique opportunity thanks to the National Retail Federation.

NRF is collaborating again with University of Phoenix School of Business to award 20 full-tuition scholarships to retail industry professionals who want to enhance their careers through education.

The Fresh Market will cede some of its market share to its biggest competitor even as it posted strong fourth quarter earnings and an upbeat outlook for 2015.

The company announced that it would be exiting California by the end of this month and closing all three of its remaining stores there, as it focuses on its stores in the eastern part of the United States. The company also cited slower “organic store growth” as another reason for the decision.

Columbus, Ohio – Higher gross margin helped Big Lots Inc. increase net income 12% to $94.43 million.

In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 from $84.35 million in the same quarter a year earlier. Net sales climbed 1% to $1.59 billion from $1.57 billion, with same-store sales improving 2.9%.

St. Paul, Minn. -- Gander Mountain will open a 52,000-sq.-ft. store in Kaleen, Texas, and a 45,600-sq.-ft. store in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on March 12, giving it 156 stores nationwide.

The Tulsa location marks Gander Mountain's entry into Oklahoma. The Killeen store continues Gander’s major expansion into the Texas market, and will be its 20th store in the state.

The U.S. Toy Industry Association has a new CEO who brings a unique perspective to an organization whose members account for more than 90% of U.S. toy sales.

Stephen J. Pasierb will join the U.S. Toy Industry Association (TIA) at the end of April as president and CEO. He succeed current President and CEO Carter Keithley who is retiring and will be responsible for leading the growth, development, and oversight of TIA.

Residents of Texas and Oklahoma will have two more places to buy guns this month when new Gander Mountain Company stores open with huge firearms departments.

Gander Mountain will open two new locations in Texas and Oklahoma on March 12. The new store in Killeen continues the brand's major expansion into the Texas market and will be the 20th store in the state. The new location in Tulsa marks Gander Mountain's entry into Oklahoma and the 27th state overall.

Milwaukee – Roundy’s Inc. reported net income of $7.5 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, more than double $3.5 million in the same quarter the prior fiscal year. A shift from net after-tax loss to net after-tax income from 27 Rainbow stores that were closed or sold drove net income growth.

Roundy’s plans to open five new stores in fiscal 2015, including one in the first quarter.