eCommerce

New York -- Swedish fast-fashion giant H&M isn’t letting the strong U.S. dollar hurt its expansion plans.

The chain plans to open about 400 new stores in 2015-2016. It is expanding into five new markets: Taiwan, Peru, Macau, South Africa and India. Other plans include the launch of H&M Beauty this July, starting in about 900 stores and online. The company also hinted at the development of a mysterious new brand.

U.S. grocery shopping habits appear to be changing as consumers increasingly seek out the convenience of online ordering when it comes to food, according to a new study.

San Jose, Calif. – Many consumers assume eBay is simply a place to sell or buy used merchandise. However, the online commerce platform is actually robust enough to support a thriving retail business selling new goods.

Having passed the calendar’s mid-point, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at the top 10 most-viewed stories of the year (to date) on Chainstoreage.com.

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less (“Ross”) isn’t slowing down its brick-and-mortar expansion.

The chain will open a new location in Salina, Kansas, on July 18. The 25,000-sq.-ft. store is located in the Central Mall, 80 miles north of Wichita. The opening is part of the retailer’s 2015 expansion program, totaling approximately 70 new locations during the year.  

Pinterest is rolling out its “Buyable Pins” feature, which allow consumers to purchase items directly from Pinterest visual displays, to users of its iPhone and iPad apps. This gives retailers a new avenue to engage digital consumers, while e-commerce platforms like Amazon, eBay, Google and even Wal-Mart Marketplace have a new competitor.

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less will open new stores in Corbin, Kentucky, and in Middletown, Kentucky, both on July 18.  

The 22,000-sq.-ft. Corbin store is located in the Trademart Shopping Center at Highway 25 and Master Street.

The 25,000-sq.-ft. Middletown store is located in Middletown Commons at Interstate 265 and Shelbyville Road, 14 miles east of Louisville.  

Both are part of the retailer’s 2015 expansion program, totaling approximately 70 new locations during the year.  

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less will open a new store in Alton, Illinois, on July 18.  

The 24,000-sq.-ft. store is located in Alton Square Mall, 20 miles north of downtown St. Louis.
 

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less will open a new store in Montrose, Colorado, on July 18, as well as a new store in Phoenix on the same day, adding to its western U.S. store counts.

The 27,000-sq.-ft. Montrose, Colorado, store is located in the River Landing shopping center at US Highway 550 and Rio Grande Avenue, 60 miles southeast of Grand Junction.  

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less will open two new stores in the Raleigh, North Carolina, area on July 18.  The stores are located in the Wake Forest Crossing in Wake Forest, 15 miles northeast of downtown Raleigh, and the Shops at Cameron in Sanford, 50 miles southwest of Raleigh.  

These openings are part of the retailer’s 2015 expansion program, totaling approximately 70 new locations during the year.