Retail

Philadelphia – U.K. specialty maternity retailer Mothercare Plc has rejected two non-binding written merger proposals from Destination Maternity Corp. In a press release, Destination Maternity said its second proposal, delivered June 1 2014, would combine the two companies under a new U.K. holding company which would be listed in the U.S., for a total payment of $453 million to Mothercare shareholders.

Patchogue, N.Y. -- A storefront retail space in downtown Patchogue, New York, has secured leases totaling 7,400 sq. ft., according to North Plainfield, N.J.-based Levin Management.

The 23,000-sq.-ft. space at 35-71 South Ocean Ave. will feature sushi restaurant 360 Taiko Sushi & Lounge (4,900 sq. ft.) and apparel retailer Jeans Fashion (2,500 sq. ft.).

Moreno Valley, Calif. — National action sports retailer, Tilly’s will open its doors at Moreno Valley Mall on July 1. A grand opening celebration is scheduled for Saturday, July 19. The retailer will occupy 7,148 sq. ft. at the Inland Empire shopping center, which is managed by Spinoso Real Estate Group.

Salt Lake City – Overstock.com now offers free Club O loyalty program memberships to active police officers, full-time firefighters, paramedics and certified emergency medical technicians. Those who qualify for the program can enroll by visiting the first-responders sign-up section on Overstock.

First responders can have their identity verified through the ID.me digital authentication service and relayed to Overstock to receive their free Club O membership. Once individuals sign up, they enter a user name and password to receive benefits.

Austin, Texas -- Magento, an eBay Enterprise company, has named Bigcommerce, a commerce platform for successful and emerging merchants, as its preferred migration provider for ProStores and Magento Go when the two products are discontinued on February 1, 2015.

Bigcommerce and Magento are committed to the future success of ProStores and Magento Go retailers. Magento is offering migration options that best suit the needs of each client, including migration to its Community and Enterprise Editions, and special migration offers to Bigcommerce.

Austin, Texas - Retailers have barely reached the halfway mark in their journey to omnichannel maturity. According to the results of a new report from Starmount and Retail Systems Research (RSR) that asked retailers to rate themselves on six dimensions of omnichannel maturity, the lowest overall rankings (an average score of 2.7 on a six-point scale) were in omnichannel order and fulfillment capabilities.

In addition, 67% of retailers were “inefficient” or worse at integrating in-store and digital experiences. Other findings include:

New York -- UGG Australia on July 14 will launch an e-commerce site dedicated to its new tween-girls brand, I Heart UGG. The retailer also plans to open two I Heart UGG stores, in Waikiki, Hawaii, and in San Francisco, in early September.

The new line includes footwear, loungewear, accessories and handbags and will be available in the United States, Japan and China.