Strategy

Retailers continue to launch digital deals this holiday season to snag new customers — but these efforts come at a price.    Retailers’ promotional offers are eclipsing 2015 efforts. Customer orders using a promotion are up 34% versus 2015, and up 52% over the holiday season (Nov. 1-Dec. 5) versus 2015 in North America.     

Barnes & Noble is set to open its third location featuring the bookseller’s new concept, which combines a bookstore with  a full-service restaurant and table service.   The new store,  at the Palladio of Broadstone in Folsom, California, features a 2,600-sq.-ft. Barnes & Noble Kitchen that has seating for 140, reported the Sacramento Bee.  

Lululemon athletica inc. has promoted Celeste Burgoyne to executive VP, retail, Americas, effective immediately.    Burgoyne has been with lululemon since 2006 and most recently served as senior VP, retail, North America where she was responsible for overseeing all Canadian and U.S. retail. She started her career with Abercrombie & Fitch, where she held various positions during her ten years with the company, including most recently, senior director of stores.  

It would appear that news accounts of Amazon’s plans to opens thousands of grocery stores are greatly overblown — at least for the time being.     Amazon’s brick-and-mortar fledgling initiatives have been in the spotlight in recent weeks with the opening of its checkout-less convenience store, Amazon Go, in Seattle. Last week, some reports had the e-commerce giant planning to open 2,000 grocery stores.     

The City of Brotherly Love is having a love affair with retail.    A new report from Philadelphia’s City Center District reveals that 45 national retailers have helped fuel a $1 billion investment in city real estate during the last five years.  

Move over Sephora, fast-growing Ulta Beauty is about to give you some competition.   Ulta will open its first-ever outpost in Manhattan, on the city’s tony Upper East Side.     The retailer leased a 12,000-sq.ft. space on the ground floor of 184 E. 86th St., Commercial Observer reported, with Cushman & Wakefield brokering the deal with Ulta. A Sephora is located on the same block.   

A mall owner in Springfield, Missouri, has asked the town council to declare the area surrounding his site blighted and charge a tax to go towards improvements to his property.   Curtis Jared told town administrators that sprucing up his Brentwood Shopping Center would create more jobs and tax revenue, according to local radio station KTTS. He wants them to form a community improvement district allowing a one-cent increase in the local sales tax.