eCommerce

PetSmart is ensuring that it has the right back-end infrastructure to support front-end omnichannel commerce.  

Alex Cesar, who had been running JLL’s retail department in Brazil, has been hired by RKF to head up its Miami office.   “Alex will be a crucial driver of our expansion in South Florida and will strengthen the bridge between the Latin American and U.S. retail markets,” said RKF CEO Robert Futterman in announcing the move.  

Payment processing platform Worldpay isn’t naming names, but appears to be owning up to playing a major role in the Etsy transactional outage.   Since July 1, what Etsy has described as a third-party payments processing issue has stalled thousands or even millions of online transactions. In a running thread on the online marketplace’s “Bugs” community forum, some users have been posting that their delayed orders have gone through, but others still complain of inability to process payments.  

Hhgregg is on the move.   The appliances, electronics and furniture retailer said it intends to open 25-30 Fine Lines appliance locations over the next two years. Hhgregg currently has 14 Fine Lines stores, including three new locations, with two in Ohio and one in Indianapolis.     

Sephora is adding a new false lash virtual try-on to its Virtual Artist app, as well as a new way to teach beauty with step-by-step virtual tutorials using augmented reality technology.   The launch is the latest in a series of digital enhancements powered by the Sephora Innovation Lab to customize the retailer's expanding beauty experiences.  

With nearly 1,300 locations spread across 34 states, Ross Dress for Less makes the claim that it is the nation’s largest off-price apparel and home fashion chain. With a mass grand opening of 24 more stores set for July, the chain clearly intends to hold on to that distinction.   New Ross locations will spring up in 14 states, with Wisconsin hosting four of them -- in Brown River, Onalaska, Racine, and West Green Bay.   

As consumers continue shifting to mobile-only shopping experiences this summer, retailers have a greater need than ever for an e-commerce platform that delivers responsive, consistent experiences across any given device or channel.

The online space doesn’t have a lock on new retail concepts, but with its lower start-up costs and potential audience reach it has proved itself a great breeding ground for disruptive retailers.   Here’s a look at four innovative e-tailers that are generating buzz and revenue increases — enough to place them among the top 15 fastest-growing e-retailers in a recent study.*   Casper