eCommerce

Vestar announced the close of a deal to acquire the Twin Creeks Marketplace in Allen, Texas, north of Dallas.   Opened in 2016, the 43,134-sq.-ft. center sits on five acres at the intersection of W. Exchange Parkway and Alma Drive. Tenants include Sprouts Farmers Market, Verizon, Starbucks, Advancial Credit Union, Luxe Nails, Studio Smiles, and ATI Physical Therapy.  

Barneys New York has promoted its COO to the top job.   Daniella Vitale has been named chief executive officer of the New York-based upscale specialty retailer.    Vitale replaces Mark Lee, who is retiring and will assume the role executive chairman. Lee joined Barneys as chief executive in 2010. He is credited with turning the business around. Lee previously served as CEO of Gucci, and also held positions at Yves Saint Laurent, Armani and Jill Sander. He started his career at Saks Fifth Avenue. 

Amazon continues to dictate the pace of online retailing, making it the “go-to” retailer for a majority of shoppers.   This is according to a report from PowerReviews, which surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. consumers aged 18 and over, about the features that make Amazon a leader, and the steps that brands and retailers can take to compete. Seventy-one percent of the shoppers said they make at least one Amazon purchase a month.   

Cross-border online retail is on an upward trajectory, and a catalyst for domestic retailers to grow their businesses.   That’s according to “The 21st Century Spice Trade: A Guide to the Cross-Border E-Commerce Opportunity,” a report form DHL Express. Based on responses from more than 1,800 retailers and manufacturers in six countries, the study details the markets and products that offer the highest growth potential, and motivate customers to buy internationally.   

The number of bankruptcy filings by U.S. retailers nearly doubled in 2016, and 2017 looks bleak for the industry.   That is according to a report by The Deal, a business unit of TheStreet.  

More shoppers are buying groceries online, but a majority are ready to switch grocers in favor of a better online experience.   This is according to the “2017 Grocery eCommerce Forecast,” a report from Unata, which surveyed over 500 U.S. shoppers about online grocery shopping habits, intent and barriers. Details revealed that 31% of U.S. shoppers are likely to order groceries online in 2017, up from 19% of shoppers that bought groceries online in 2016.   

Pinterest is taking its search program to the next level.   The social media site now offers Search Ads, a feature that enables retailers to run ads as “pinners” type keywords into the search bar. The program, which started as a limited test, is now comprised of a full suite of features, including keyword and shopping campaigns that are shown in search results, as well as new targeting and reporting options, Pinterest’s head of global sales, Jon Kaplan, said in the company’s blog.  

In a strategic move to bolster its logistics network, Amazon will build an air cargo hub in Kentucky.   The online retailer agreed to a 50-year lease for approximately 900 acres of property from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The project site, which rivals the size of global hubs of top cargo airlines — is estimated to cost $1.49 billion, ReCode said.