Apparel

New York -- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has entered into its biggest deal ever — and this one is in the brick-and-mortar arena.
 
The Internet giant has invested approximately $4.63 billion in Chinese consumer electronics retailer Suning, which operates more than 1,600 stores across 289 cities in China. The investment gives Alibaba a 19.9% stake, making it the second largest shareholder in the company.

In return, Suning will invest up to $2.28 billion to subscribe to new shares of Alibaba.

Seattle – Online jewelry retailer Blue Nile Inc. had profit and sales results in the second quarter of fiscal 2015 that crested beyond Wall Street expectations. Net income rose 4% to $2.3 million from $2.2 million the same quarter a year earlier.

An increase in interest and other income, as well as cost of sales growth that did not match the growth pace of sales, drove the increase in net income. Net sales rose 7% to $113.69 million from $106.57 million.

New Albany, Ohio – Specialty chain Abercrombie & Fitch Inc. tries to stay on the edge of cool, and has reportedly decided that on-call shifts are no longer what the cool retailers are doing. According to the Associated Press, Abercrombie will end its requirement for employees in New York stores to be available for short-notice shifts by the end of the year.

Seattle – Shoppers at select Nordstrom Inc. stores are seeing a new pop-up shop. Specialty eyewear retailer Warby Parker is operating pop-up shops at six Nordstrom locations around the country until Sept. 6, and also offering an e-commerce page on the Nordstrom site.

As part of the Pop-In@Nordstrom series of themed pop-up shops, Warby-Parker will offer Nordstrom customers a curated selection of frames, as well as four exclusive pairs of sunglasses and an assortment of literary-themed specialty items such as colored pencils and watercolor markers.

Morrisville, N.C. — While specialty jewelry retailer Charles & Colvard Inc. saw sales decline and many expenses rise in the second quarter of fiscal 2015, a sharp decrease in income tax expense allowed the retailer to reduce net loss to $4.05 million from $6.19 million in the prior-year period.

Net sales declined 5% to $7.48 million from $7.84 million.

Hangzhou, China – The apparel selection on Alibaba Group’s Tmall.com third-party marketplace is getting a lot bigger.

Tmall has formed strategic partnerships with more than 160 brands from 110 global apparel chains.  It will work with apparel brands in areas of new product launches, online-to-offline initiatives, data-driven operations, digital marketing campaigns and other services to enhance consumer shopping experiences.

Photo via Getty Images

Some of the most creative minds in marketing, including some top retailers, were recognized recently when Experian Marketing Services held its inaugural #SuiteLife Awards.

Among the recipients of the #SuiteLife Awards, a play on Experian’s suite of marketing solutions, were American Eagle Outfitters, Neiman Marcus, Bass Pro Shops, Finish Line and Foot Locker. The awards were presented at Experian’s recently held marketing summit attended by more than 1,000 people in Las Vegas.