eCommerce

A cloud computing/e-commerce giant heads up Fast Company’s annual ranking of the 10 most innovative companies in retail.   Amazon not only topped the retail sector category, it also came in number one in the overall World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies listing. (Rounding out the top five: Google, Uber, Apple and Snap.)      

DSW is expanding its e-commerce capabilities with a deal to acquire Ebuys Inc., an online off-price footwear retailer with a presence in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.

DSW announced that the purchase price includes an upfront payment of $62.5 million as well as future payments contingent on the performance of Ebuys, Inc. The deal is expected to close within the next 30 days.

A Nordic lifestyle store has made its London debut.

Inspired by the hybrid café and retail concepts commonly found in Scandinavia, Blåbär features homeware and accessories from up and coming designers, vintage furniture and its own branded products all in a café environment serving Swedish foods and drinks.

E-commerce platform Shopify wants to help social media content creators expand into the world of online sales.

Shopify is partnering with FameBit, a Santa Monica, California-based platform that allows social media influencers and brands to collaborate for product and service endorsements. The new partnership will allow more than 31,000 of FameBit’s influencers to leverage Shopify’s VIP program and technology to expand into e-commerce.

Honolulu -- The Howard Hughes Corp. marked another critical milestone for Ward Village located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The company broke ground on Ae‘o, a 466 unit mixed-use residential tower that will be anchored by a flagship Whole Foods Market.

The results are in, and there is no question about what is happening with mobile retail.

According to a new study of 1.4 billion online transactions during fourth quarter 2015 from performance marketing technology provider Criteo, mobile transaction share grew 15% from the same quarter the prior year. Mobile transactions accounted for 30% of all online transactions in the quarter.

The majority owner of Ollie’s Bargain Outlet is looking to reduce its stake in the company following a holiday season sales performance CEO Mark Butler characterized as thrilling.

Bryn and Dane’s announced it will be expanding from three to six locations in Pennsylvania within the next year. The new stores will be located in the Philadelphia Metro Area:

• Bryn Mawr Village in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania; set to open summer 2016
• Atwater South in Malvern, Pennsylvania; set to open fall 2016
• The Franklin, 834 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; set to open early 2017