Retail

New Albany, Ohio – Michael Jeffries, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., reportedly did not walk away empty-handed when he retired from the company in December 2014. According to the Columbus Business Journal, Jeffries obtained at least $27 million in cash and other benefits.

Columbia, S.C. – Edens, an owner and developer of community shopping centers, has named Jodie W. McLean as CEO, effective June 30. McLean will replace Terry S. Brown, who is stepping down as chairman and CEO.

McLean has been a member of the Edens leadership team for 18 years. Brown became CEO and joined the company's board of directors in 2002, and became chairman of the board in 2013.
 

Seattle – Increases in expenses including fulfillment, marketing and technology helped swing Amazon.com to a net loss of $57 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2015 from net income of $108 million the same quarter a year earlier. Amazon met Wall Street expectations with the loss.

Amazon fared better with net sales, which increased 15% to $22.72 billion from $19.74 billion. In North America, net sales grew 24% to $13.41 billion from $10.08 billion.

London – Net-A-Porter is reportedly partnering with Harper’s Bazaar on an interactive ad. According to Luxury Daily, Net-A-Porter’s display ad on the Harper’s mobile site lets consumers type in a keyword that will help personalize the landing page they go to.

Predictive text helps consumers more quickly fill in the keyword. They are then brought to a customized landing page with products relating to their keyword.
 

By Melanie Curtin, OpiaTalk

Promotions, discounts, and coupons, oh my! It’s easy to have a love/hate relationship with them. On the one hand, they’re proven to bring in business and boost conversions. On the other, they can cut into margins.

It’s often assumed that the bigger the promotion, the better it will convert. But what if it’s not about the promotion itself? What if it’s more about the delivery?
 

Toronto – Sears Canada Inc. is reportedly reducing some departments while expanding others in a move to capitalize on the retreat of Target from the Canadian retail landscape. According to the Toronto Globe & Mail, Sears Canada plans to stop selling electronics altogether while also reducing its tool and hardware assortment by more than 50%.

Framingham, Mass. – Staples Inc. is a making a play to expand its copy and print business. The retailer has purchased Makr, an iOS app that enables people to design and print one-of-a-kind materials, and its parent company Happy; both based in Brooklyn, New York.

Makr is a design and print shop for iOS devices. With Makr, businesses design or upload logos to create custom branding materials such as business cards, t-shirts, or tote bags, and individuals can create items such as holiday cards and wedding invitations.

London - J Sainsbury PLC is increasing transportation productivity through enhanced accuracy. Sixteen Sainsbury’s depots are using an integrated transport management system from Paragon Software, which integrates Paragon’s planning optimization with wireless communications to enhance the accuracy and execution of each day's complex transport plans.