eCommerce

On the heels of Amazon's Prime Day promotion, Walmart.com is kicking off hundreds of special buys timed to a historical spike in traffic when customers start the bulk of their back-to-school shopping.

According to Walmart, traffic to Walmart.com doubles in the four days from July 31 to Aug. 3 as customers turn their attention from the pool back to school. So Walmart is kicking off Back to Class Cyber Days online and on its mobile app, featuring 30% more Rollbacks and hundreds of exclusive discounts.

Minneapolis -- Best Buy is moving further ahead in its quest to make shopping across platforms as easy as possible for consumers.

The retailer, in partnership with American Express, has integrated new technology that allows Amex card members enrolled in the Amex Membership Rewards program to use their points for online purchases on BestBuy.com.

The power of Bass Pro Shops’ brand of retail was evident at the company’s newest store opening this week as shoppers were undeterred by a massive traffic jam and a lack of parking, which forced some grand opening attendees to walk nearly a mile for a look inside.

For the shoppers who did make it to the store before the doors swung open at 6:30 p.m., onlookers were treated to a host of celebrity appearances on a stage erected in the front parking lot, including:

Best Buy is taking another leap forward in its quest to make shopping across platforms as easy as possible for consumers.

The retailer, in partnership with American Express, has integrated new technology that allows Amex card members enrolled in the Amex Membership Rewards program to seamlessly use their points for online purchases on BestBuy.com. In addition card members can use their membership rewards points for all or part of each online purchase and either pick it up in one of Best Buy’s stores or have it delivered to their doors.

Houston - Baker Katz, an X Team International partner and full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm, has acquired a 4.5-acre property with plans to renovate two existing buildings totaling 33,000-sq.-ft. in Atascocita, in the Greater Houston area.

The firm plans to renovate the two buildings that were constructed in 1984 to update the architecture and attract new retail tenants. Construction is slated to begin early next year. Jim Bayne with Investar Real Estate Services represented the seller for this transaction

West Marine's renewed focus on omnichannel growth seems to be paying off as the specialty retailer reported a big spike in same store sales in the second quarter.

Boston – Massachusetts will have a tax holiday the weekend of Aug. 15-16, if the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) has anything to say about it. The ICSC has sent a letter to Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker asking him to sign the sales tax holiday legislation currently on his desk.

Manhattan Beach, Calif. – Skechers USA Inc., which recently passed Adidas to become the number two athletic footwear brand in the United States, is on the fast track.

The company, whose second quarter sales beat estimates, has carved out a lucrative niche in casual athletic footwear and in kids’ athletic footwear. It is in expansion mode, with plans to open 125 to 135 company-owned and third-party-owned stores later this year.