eCommerce

A decades-old apparel retailer finds itself no longer in fashion, undone by fast-fashion competition and a lack of e-commerce expertise.

Joyce Leslie filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection in White Plains, New York, and is a likely candidate for liquidation, Women’s Wear Daily reported. The chain, founded in 1945, operates 47 stores throughout the Northeast.

The saga — and drama — of American Apparel Inc. continues.

If a “leader” is someone who knows how to take charge, achieve goals and inspire others along the way — even in the most trying of circumstances — then the women featured in this special section are leaders in every sense of the word. They have toiled and proved their mettle — and smarts — in a field that traditionally has not been all that female-friendly: technology.

Toys “R” Us produced surprisingly strong results, especially online, in what is proving to be a holiday season characterized by mixed results from retailers who have disclosed results.

The final tally is in, and it was a happy holiday for retailers engaging in digital commerce, with help from strong mobile performance.

According to data from comScore, total digital spend for the holiday season (including preliminary mobile commerce estimates) reached $69.1 billion in 2015. This represents about a 13% annual gain from $61.3 billion spent in the 2014 season.

Irvine, Calif. -- Irvine Company announced a major $150 million reinvestment in Irvine Spectrum Center located in Irvine, California, in the heart of Irvine Spectrum, a mixed-use community that provides a balanced district of retail, office, and living space.

The Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset is slowly gaining popularity with retailers as a customer engagement tool, and an industry vendor is hoping to capitalize on the trend.

Location-based mobile platform Retale is releasing Retale Virtual Reality (VR) for Oculus Rift this year. Designed to be a VR, location-based shopping companion, it will provide an immersive, 3D environment where customers can shop context-based local offers.

Bellevue, Tenn. -- Crosland Southeast and Branch Properties have entered into a joint venture to acquire Bellevue Center Mall, an 87-acre property, located in Bellevue Tennessee. Crosland and Branch will collaborate to develop the retail component of the project and will rebrand the Bellevue Center Mall as One Bellevue Place. The projected costs for the redevelopment are approximately $200 million.