Strategy

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Appliance & Hardware has debuted a smaller, neighborhood model format that will become a company standard for all new locations going forward. The new store, in Dallas, is also the first brand new Sears Appliance & Hardware store to open in the past ten years.

Hampstead, Md. -- Jos. A. Bank Clothiers said that it will consider increasing its $2.3 billion buyout offer for Men's Wearhouse. The retailer also said that it would drop its proposal in two week if Men's Wearhouse did not enter into discussions.

 In a letter sent to Men's Wearhouse CEO Douglas Ewert, Jos. A. Bank chairman Robert Wildrick said that if the talks are not held by that date it will pull its offer so that it can consider other strategic options that it has been investigating.

Orte Madera, Calif. -- Restoration Hardware Holdings announced the appointment of Katie Mitic to its board of directors, effective immediately. Mitic, who will also serve on the board’s audit committee, is a veteran technology leader and entrepreneur with nearly 20 years of strategic product, marketing and business development experience.

Restoration Hardware has appointed Katie Mitic to its board of directors. Mitic, who will also serve on the board’s audit committee, has nearly 20 years of strategic product, marketing and business development experience.

“We are thrilled to have Katie join RH’s board. Her entrepreneurial mindset and digital expertise will be invaluable as we continue to evolve and enhance the ways in which we connect with our customers,” said Gary Friedman, chairman, creator, curator, and co-CEO.

Redwood Shores, Calif. – Toms — the company that gives a pair of its shoes or provides eye care to a person in need for every corresponding purchase — has deployed the Oracle Commerce platform to support its rapid business growth and international expansion.

Rite Aid's same-store sales increased by 2.1% this month compared with October 2012. The pharmacy chain also issued an estimate of the negative effects of Hurricane Sandy on its sales.

The increase included a 0.6% decrease in front-end same-store sales and an increase in pharmacy same-store sales of 3.4%, which were lowered by 0.85% due to introductions of new generic drugs. Same-store script count increased by 1.1%. Total sales for the month were $1.961 billion, a 2.2% increase over October 2012. The chain currently operates 4,599 stores.

San Francisco – PBTeen, a Williams-Sonoma retail brand, will open a new store in Huntington, N.Y., on Nov. 7. It will be the first PBTeen location on Long Island, the 16th in the U.S., and also the first combined location of PBTeen, Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids, with pass-through access to all three stores.

Technology continues to evolve at a rapid-fire pace, empowering consumers and businesses with more options and expectations for shopping seamlessly wherever, whenever and however they want. And retailers need to keep up.

In order to succeed in this crucial time, the Naperville, Ill.-based, 900-plus-store office products chain OfficeMax, Inc. recognized that it needed to expedite decision-making to bring website improvements to market more quickly.