eCommerce

Taking a lesson from B.F. Skinner, Office Depot is taking steps to reward college students for refraining from using their phones at the most critical time of the day — during class.   College students are so obsessed, and thus distracted, by their phones that 33% said they checked their device a minimum of 10 times a day, according to a study conducted by the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln  

Just in time to kick-off the 2016 NFL season, the Carolina Panthers are giving fans another reason to cheer.   The defending NFC champions upgraded the Carolina Panthers Official Shop, the team’s official online store — a move that promises “to pro-vide Panthers fans worldwide with an exceptional online shopping expe-rience,” according to a company statement.   

Just in time to lead the company’s next growth phase, Shoes.com has appointed Bradley Wilson as president.    Most recently, Wilson served as general manager at Expedia, in charge of the Travelocity business. Before that, he served as CMO at Travelocity, growing it to a multi-billion dollar travel marketplace that was successfully sold to Expedia in 2014. He has also held senior management roles at both Nutrisystem and Match.com during their respective and explosive growth years.   

Kimco Realty Corp. has purchased the remaining 85% interest in a four-property joint venture portfolio, a deal that includes the assumption of $103 million in mortgage debt. The company also announced it had acquired a Whole Foods-anchored center in the D.C. area for $95 million.  

Chain Store Age is pleased to announce that its sister brand, Retailing Today, has become part of a larger, more robust Chain Store Age, one with greater industry coverage and retail audience reach.   “With the merging of Retailing Today into Chain Store Age, readers and advertisers can expect a comprehensive brand representing the full range of omnichannel retail operations,” said Gary Esposito, group publisher, Chain Store Age.  

10 Corso Como, the eternally cool Milanese retailer, is coming to the Big Apple.   The Howard Hughes Corp, announced that the Milan-based retailer will open its first U.S. store in the Seaport District of lower Manhattan as part of the development’s ongoing transformation.    

With its mobile traffic growing on a seemingly daily basis, Crate and Barrel is future-proofing its mobile experience.  

Tory Burch is expanding its fledgling new retail format.   The company will open a 2,060-sq.-ft.  Tory Sport store at Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota, in late October.    Tory Sport, which launched in 2015, currently has a store in Manhattan’s Flatiron District and another in East Hampton, New York. In addition to the upcoming Mall of America store, it will open a location in Dallas, also this fall.