eCommerce

Poor holiday sales results from Macy’s, Sears, and Kohl’s do not bode well for the already embattled department store sector. And now J.C. Penney has reported its own disappointing results.   

Online spending, and the amount of purchases made after the standard shipping deadline, were on the rise this holiday season.  

The ranks of female retail CEOs is losing one of its highest-profile members.   Rosalind G. Brewer, 54, has told Walmart she plans to retire as executive VP, president and CEO of Sam’s Club, effective Feb. 1, 2017. She will be succeeded by company veteran John Furner, 42, who joined Walmart as an hourly associate in 1993, effective Feb. 1. The news was announced in a filing by the chain.  

Gap Inc. turned in a positive holiday performance, reversing a string of declines, fueled by strong results from its Old Navy division and improvements by its namesake unit. The apparel giant also boosted its guidance for the year.    Gap’s net sales for the November and December holiday season edged up 1% compared to the year-ago period. Total same-store sales rose 2%.  

Millennials grab most of the attention from brand marketers, but baby boomers still have greater disposable income and far more purchasing clout. 

Apparel retailer The Limited is out of the brick-and-mortar retail business.   The ailing chain, which has quietly been closing stores around the country for the past couple of weeks, announced the news with a short statement on its website on Friday, Jan. 6. The move was not unexpected. Limited has struggled amid increased competition from fast-fashion upstarts, both offline and online.   

Chain Store Age tech editor Deena M. Amato-McCoy spoke with Mike Lowey, director of retail for Brother Mobile Solutions, and learned how an increasingly evolving omnichannel retailing model, especially digital channels, is impacting replenishment operations and what retailers need to do to adapt.

Warehousing operations are growing more complex by the day. What trends are impacting how merchandise moves through the warehouse and up to store-level?

Sears Holdings Corp. is seeking to stop its bleeding and raise more cash by closing another 104 stores and selling its iconic Craftsman tools brand.   The struggling retailer said it has reached an agreement to sell Craftsman to Stanley Black & Decker for a net present value of about $900 million, including future royalty payments. Sears, which will continue to sell Craftsman products, had put the brand, along with its Kenmore and DieHard brands, up for sale several months ago.