eCommerce

New York -- Wal-Mart Stores is testing a new convenience-store concept called “Walmart To Go,” with the initial location in the chain’s hometown of Bentonville, Ark.

The new store offers convenience store products, prepared foods and gasoline. At approximately 2,500 sq. ft., Walmart To Go is much smaller than the company’s other small-format concept, Walmart Express, which averages about 15,000 sq. ft.

Walmart also has a grocery delivery service with a similar name, WalmartToGo.com, in two markets.

New York -- Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M said on Thursday it will debut two of its newer retail formats, COS and & Other Stories, in the United States this year.

H&M will open its first COS U.S. location this April in New York City’s SoHo area. A second U.S. store will open later this year, in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The retailer’s & Other Stories banner will make its U.S. debut this fall, opening a store in downtown Manhattan.

Woodbridge, Va. — Potomac Mills, the largest outlet and value retail shopping destination in the Washington, D.C., area has appointed Sam Hosn as its new general manager. Paul Fickinger, executive VP of property management for The Mills, a Simon Company, made the announcement.

As general manager, Hosn will manage the day-to-day operations of Potomac Mills including leasing, contract negotiations, staff supervision, office management, budgeting, tenant relations and marketing.

New York -- Robert Graham has signed a new lease agreement to open a branded retail store featuring the full Robert Graham collection in NorthPark Center in Dallas. The store will carry the complete range of Robert Graham, including men's sportswear, premium denim, furnishings, accessories, outerwear, newly launched footwear collection and women's sportswear.

NorthPark Center features a unique backdrop of art, architecture and landscaping for the enjoyment of its discerning customers. The Robert Graham store will open in late Spring 2014.

The Woodlands, Texas – Conn’s Inc. reported net income of $27.73 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, up 57% from $17.66 million in the same quarter the prior fiscal year. The retailer intends to open 15 to 20 new stores during fiscal 2015.

Net sales grew 45% to $301.63 million from $250.34 million, and same-store sales increase 33.4%. Conn’s said significant sales growth was reported across all major product categories during the quarter, and the company opened six new stores in that time.

Duluth, Minn. -- Ascena Retail Group, parent to the Maurices, DressBarn and Lane Bryant banners, announced the 900th Maurices store opening. The Fresno, Calif., store will officially open later this month, joining 899 other stores in the U.S. and Canada.

Maurices will open 60 new stores by the end of its fiscal year in July 2014. In addition to new store openings, Maurices is remodeling or expanding 80 stores this year.  

The company's long-term goal is to reach over 1,200 stores domestically and 100 stores in Canada.

A central theme of the Oracle Industry Connect conference, held in Boston March 25-26, was “Commerce Anywhere,” or the new customer experience paradigm that requires enabling the consumer to purchase products how they want, when they want and to do so in a connected, nearly seamless fashion. IT also entails delivering targeted assortments, making inventory transparent and accessible to customers and employees in real-time, and integrating the systems supporting retail operations.

Houston -- While 91 new stores boosted sales for the final fiscal quarter and year-end, Francesca’s Holdings Corp. saw net income for the 13-week period ended Feb. 1 slide to $10.6 million, from $14.9 million last year.

Same-store sales fell 6%, swinging from a 10% increase in the prior year quarter. Revenue surged to $92.1 million from $86.7 million, helped by 91 new boutique openings since the prior year quarter.  Five of the 91 opened during the fourth quarter.