Winter Holidays

By Ted Vaughan, [email protected]

The year 2012 was the best year for retail IPOs since 2002 — S&P Capital IQ reported seven offerings for the year — and when we released our 2013 IPO Outlook Study earlier this year, 30% of capital markets executives expected initial public offerings (IPOs) in the retail and consumer products space to continue to grow in 2013. Now that we’re well into the second half of the year, how have those expectations fared?

Philadelphia — Distrito, a Garces Group restaurant, has leased a 7,500-sq.-ft. space at the Moorestown Mall in Moorestown, N.J., according to the mall’s owner Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust.

James Beard Award-winning chef and one of only a few chefs in the country designated an Iron Chef, Jose Garces owns and operates more than a dozen restaurants in five states.

Charlotte, N.C. – Belk is teaming up with social, mobile and digital engagement platform ePrize, as well as Pinterest and Instagram marketing analytics suite provider Curalate to launch a Pinterest campaign aimed at brides called “Pin to Win.” At a high level, during the promotion consumers will visit a sweepstakes microsite where they can "pin" a pre-populated pin board image based on their bridal type or select an image of their own for a chance to win a $5,000 Belk gift card.

Dallas – The Army Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) has awarded a multi-year contract to SpeedFC to build and maintain an integrated e-commerce platform, replacing a proprietary legacy environment. The SpeedFC solution will incorporate Oracle’s ATG platform for back-end systems, Speed Order, the vendor’s proprietary system for order management, Omniture for analytics and Endeca for guided navigation, faceted search and search administration.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Discount retailers TJ Maxx and Saks Off Fifth outlets plan to dive into e-commerce waters this year, according to reports. 

San Jose, Calif. -- Retailers are cautiously optimistic about the 2013 holiday season, with 60% forecasting revenue growth in excess of 10%, in line with industry forecasts, according to a survey by Baynote, a provider of personalized customer experience solutions.

Dallas -- The Army & Air Force Exchange Service announced a refresh of the organization’s official website, Shopmyexchange.com, in preparation for the key holiday selling season.
 
Improvements include a new homepage layout design, complete with an updated visual look and industry-standard navigation; more product categories; easy-to-find links to specialty stores and online mall vendors; improved product pages; and easier checkout.
 

The focus of retail analysts will be squarely on Target later this year when the company hosts an investor conference in Toronto on October 30. It will be the company’s first such event since entering the market and by the fall the company should have all of its 124 planned stores open and ready to roll for Christmas. For more details and to add to your calendar, click here.