Retail

Import volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to grow 1.8% in December, compared to the same month last year, and the year should end with an increase of 2.3% from 2012.

According to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates, U.S. ports followed by Global Port Tracker handled 1.43 million 20-ft. Equivalent Units (TEU) in October, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available.

Giant Eagle, Rite Aid, ExxonMobil and Kum & Go are among the growing number of merchants to become members of the Merchant Customer Exchange’s group, which is made up of leading merchants dedicated to improving the shopping experience by offering consumers a widely accepted, customer-focused and secure mobile commerce platform.

With these new member additions, more than 50 merchants are now part of MCX, representing more than 100,000 locations and more than $1 trillion in payments annually.

Product designer, marketer and distributor FirsTime Design Limited elevated Christopher Bering to the role of president and CEO.

The company, which does business as FirsTime Manufactory through its License Products subsidiary, said Bering will also serve as a member of the board. Bering previously served as president and COO and fills the position occupied by Pete Wierenga since January 2012. Wierenga will continue to serve as chairman of the board.

Amazon's fresh food delivery service may be expanding to San Francisco, according to published reports.

All Things Digital, a Dow Jones-owned website that reports on technology news, reported on several sightings in San Francisco of AmazonFresh trucks, as well as a recent job posting.

According to the site, Amazon plans to announce the service's launch on Tuesday. Amazon began offering the service in Seattle and recently expanded it to Los Angeles. AmazonFresh allows users to shop online for produce, dairy products, dry goods and others.

Specialty retailer Five Below offered a somewhat muted outlook for holiday sales despite posting impressive growth in third-quarter same-store sales and achieving record expansion in 2013.

The company has opened 60 new stores this year and its same-store sales grew 9% during the period ended Nov. 2. Of the new stores opened this year, 28 came online during the third quarter and 11 of those were in Dallas, a new market for the rapidly expanding company.

Sears Holdings' plan to spin off Lands' End may have gotten all the attention on Friday, but the retailer’s former hometown and outlet stores division shared results showing how it has fared after receiving similar treatment a year earlier.

Genesco, the company behind Lids and Journeys, is the latest company to express concern about the holiday season and lower fourth-quarter expectations after producing a solid third-quarter performance.

Eight months into his role as CEO and with a new merchandising organization in place, David Campisi is following a familiar blueprint to reinvigorate the performance of Big Lots — making hard choices to streamline operations, implementing new merchandising strategies and lowering near-term expectations.