Williams-Sonoma Inc.

Beauty giant Sephora scores the highest when it comes to online gifting.    That’s according to RSR Research’s sixth annual digital gifting benchmarking report.  Sephora came out on top, scoring 55 points out of a possible 66 points, followed by Starbucks (50.5) and The Home Depot (46.5). Rounding out the top five: Dunkin’ Donuts (44.5) and Amazon (43). (The top 25 retailers in the study are listed at the end of article.)    

West Elm opened its 100th store, at Empire Stores, in Brooklyn, New York. It is the first tenant to officially open in the restored 19th-century coffee roasting facility and warehouse.   Located in Brooklyn’s Fulton Ferry Historic District, Empire Stores dates from 1869. Its massive red-brick walls feature distinctive round-arch openings and iron shutters, characteristic features of port warehouses of the period. The home furnishings retailer also has located its corporate headquarters within the building.  

Home furnishings retailer West Elm will open a new store in downtown Reno, Nevada, on Aug. 11.    The 11,000-sq.-ft. store is located on the main floor of the former U.S. Post Office building, which has been transformed into The Basement marketplace, an underground venue with a mission to create a multi-use incubator space of both retail and food vendors celebrating handicraft.   

A retailer that specializes in reproductions of classic lighting products and house parts is quietly expanding under the ownership of Williams-Sonoma.   

West Elm will open its first Idaho store, in downtown Boise, on Thursday, June 9.

The 14,158-sq.-ft. -store incorporated wooden “Tater Blocks” salvaged from the renovation of Simplot’s Caldwell-based potato storage facility into the store’s custom interior design. The blocks, once used as industrial flooring for potato storage facilities, have been repurposed to create a unique art installation at the new store.

Petco has added two key leaders to its executive ranks and expanded the role of its supply chain chief.

The company announced that it has hired Jodi Watson as senior VP, Petco Direct, and Spencer Insolia as VP, Petco and president, Doctors Foster & Smith. The company has also named John Carcasi as senior VP, supply chain & merchandise planning, expanding his previous role to encompass all supply chain and inventory related activity across the company.

Williams-Sonoma knows how to connect with its core customers and has crafted life-altering promotion that does just that to commemorate its 60th anniversary.

Some of the retail industry’s most innovative, influential and accomplished leaders passed away in 2015. The following is a look at some of those who made a difference and the impact they had on retail.

The following list is by no means exhaustive or intended in any way rank those who passed based on their accomplishments. Rather, the goal is to present in chronological order some of the most noteworthy individuals whose departure came to the attention of Retailing Today and recognize their accomplishments one more time.

The man who built a retail empire by inspiring a generation of shoppers to stock their kitchens with garlic presses and soufflé pans has died.

Charles E. “Chuck” Williams, founder and director emeritus of Williams-Sonoma Inc., died of natural causes over the weekend, the company announced. He was 100 years old.