eCommerce

The renovation of Philadelphia Mills, that city’s largest outlet shopping center, is now complete according to owner Simon. New entrances, lighting, flooring, and dining pavilion highlight the project, which was begun in 2014.   The renovation attracted several new retailers to the location, among them Express Factory, Rack Room Shoes, Steve Madden, and Starbucks.  Longtime tenants such as Saks Off 5th, HomeGoods, and Marshalls followed Simon’s lead with store re-dos of their own.  

Think online is the biggest challenge traditional retailers face? Think again.  

Primark, one of Europe’s largest apparel retailers, will anchor a complete redevelopment of Macerich’s Kings Plaza in Brooklyn. It will be joined by Spain-based Zara, which the New York Times has called the world’s largest fashion retailer. The Sears store at Kings Plaza will close for renovation in September.  

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.’s  first quarter profit  declined amid flat sales and  increased expenses that cut into its bottom-line.   The company’s profit fell to $122.6 million from $158.5 million in the year-ago period, less than analysts had expected.   Sales remained flat year-over-year at $2.74 billion, also below estimates. Same-store sales decreased 0.5%. 

Ross Stores will open eight new dd’s Discounts stores in the coming week, bringing the coverage of its moderately priced apparel chain to near 190 units. Ribbons will be cut at stores in Delano, Fairfield, and Stockton, California; Margate and Palm Springs, Florida; Marrero, Louisiana; and Pasadena, Texas.  

The latest planned fulfillment center for Amazon.com will have a big impact on operations in the South.   The e-tail giant will open a new 600,000-sq.-ft. facility in Braselton, Georgia. When opened, it will create more than 500 new full-time jobs. Amazon currently has more than 1,500 full-time employees at its existing facilities in the state.   Employees at the Braselton center will pick, pack and ship large items for customers like household décor items, sporting equipment and gardening tools.

Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc. (RH) has appointed Hilary Krane to its board of directors, effective immediately.   Krane is the executive VP, chief administrative officer and general counsel of Nike Inc. She will also serve on the board’s audit committee. Prior to joining Nike in 2010, Krane held various roles at Levi Strauss & Co., including senior VP, general counsel and corporate affairs.  

The IoT-based home shopping landscape is getting a little more crowded.