Direct To Consumer (DTC)

New York -- eBay is about to launch a shipping club that seems somewhat fashioned after Amazon Prime — but it’s not starting out in the United States.

The company will debut its shipping program in Germany, The Street reported. Called eBay Plus, it will reportedly cost 19.90 euros (about $22) a year and will allow buyers to receive certain orders within two days plus free returns.

New York -- Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant, was named “Retailer of the Year” at the World Retail Awards gala dinner in Rome, Italy.

Corte Madera, Calif. – Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc., which is set to launch two businesses in its third quarter, had generally rewarding second quarter of fiscal 2015.

Net income rose 9% to $29.93 million from $27.25 million the same period a year earlier, with costs and expenses not growing at the same rate as sales.

Washington, D.C. - The National Retail Federation (NRF) is not backing down from its opposition to an expanded definition of “joint employer.”

The NRF is publicly asking Congress to pass legislation introduced this week that would reverse a recent National Labor Relations Board ruling that significantly broadens the definition of a joint employer.

According to the NRF, the move would unfairly make companies that work with franchise locations or subcontractors responsible for actions they do not control.

Fast-fashion giant H&M is expanding its upscale store brand, Cos, in the United States.

Markdowns and the costs of expansion hurt Lululemon profits in the second quarter, but the athleisure retailer did post an impressive jump in same store sales.

New York -- Fast-fashion giant H&M is expanding its upscale store brand, Cos, in the United States.

Cos, known for its minimalist-styled fashions, will open its first store in Boston, on Newbury Street on Sept. 25. The new space, the brand’s third location in the United States, will offer womenswear and menswear collections with 2,960 sq. ft. of sales area, spread across two floors.

New York -- Barnes & Noble on Wednesday reported its fifth straight quarter of sales declines. But the CEO sounded a positive note, telling the Wall Street Journal that the retailer is looking at a new store prototype.

“The industry is evolving, and we think there are opportunities ahead with a different format,” CEO Ronald Boire told the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. “I’ve sat in on a couple of meetings about this and we’ll have more to discuss later.”