Direct To Consumer (DTC)

Amazon.com has been typically tight-lipped about the performance of its Handmade at Amazon online arts and crafts marketplace since its October 2015 launch. However, Amazon has shared some exclusive early results with TheStreet. Find out if Etsy needs to be worried. [TheStreet]

It makes no sense for Amazon.com to open the type of physical bookstores it helped obliterate, not when the online giant already has the physical infrastructure in place to support a large scale rollout of another type of store in one of retail’s hottest sectors.

Fabletics, the fashion athletic brand co-founded by actress Kate Hudson, is setting up shop in the nation’s largest shopping mall.

The retailer is set to open at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, this spring. The 2,000-sq.-ft. store will feature the brand’s signature fashion-forward activewear for women and also its new line of men’s high performance athletic gear and lifestyle basics.

Fabletics was launched online in 2013. It made the leap to brick-and-mortar in fall 2015, and currently operates six stores.

Longtime Amazon executive Steve Kessel, whose team launched the first Kindle e-reader, is leading a retail store initiative at Amazon, ReCode.net reported. The report references two sources familiar with the plans, and states: “It’s not yet clear what those stores will sell or how they will be formatted, but the retail team’s mission is to reimagine what shopping in a physical store would be like if you merged the best of physical retail with the best of Amazon.

It makes no sense for Amazon.com to open the type of physical bookstores it helped obliterate, not when the online giant already has the physical infrastructure in place to support a large scale rollout of another type of store in one of retail’s hottest sectors.

L Brands raised its profit outlook for the year after reporting record sales in the fourth quarter.

For the fourth quarter ended Jan. 30, the company had net sales of $4.395 billion, an increase of 8% compared to $4.069 billion for the quarter ended Jan. 31, 2015. Same store sales increased 6%. Net sales for the year ended Jan. 30 were $12.154 billion, an increase of 6% compared to $11.454 billion for the year ended Jan. 31, 2015. Same store sales for the year ended Jan. 30 increased 5%.

Chain Store Age on Thursday announced the winners of its first annual Breakout Retailer Awards, which honors emerging retail/restaurant concepts that are innovative in their segment and show strong potential for growth.

Boot Barn reported double-digit profit and revenue growth in the third quarter helped by its recent acquisition of Sheplers.

The CEO of General Growth Properties caused a firestorm late Tuesday when he made a passing reference during the company’s fourth quarter earnings call that Amazon was planning to open 300 to 400 bookstores. On Wednesday, the mall giant issued a very short statement that poured water on the fire.

“General Growth Properties CEO Sandeep Mathrani has indicated that a statement he made concerning Amazon during GGP's earnings conference call held on February 2, 2016, was not intended to represent Amazon's plans.”

Walmart is extending the reach of its online grocery pickup service in Canada.

After initially launching online grocery pickup at 11 Canadian stores in July 2015, Walmart is now offering online grocery pickup at 12 more stores in the Greater Toronto market. Orders can be placed at six stores as of Feb. 3 with first pickup Feb. 9; while orders can be placed Feb. 18 with first pickup Feb. 23 at the remaining six.