eCommerce

Downers Grove, Ill. – FTD Companies Inc. was provided a substantial financial boost in the second quarter of fiscal 2015 as a result of its December 2014 acquisition of floral gifting company Provide Commerce. The added business helped almost quadruple net income to $17.8 million from $4.7 million in the same period the previous fiscal year.

Consolidated revenues were $365.8 million, roughly double $168.1 million. New revenue from Provide Commerce, as well as increases in consumer and florist revenue, drove the sales growth.

Currency fluctuations and promotional costs led Etsy.com to report another lackluster quarter of financial results, as the retailer warned more trouble may lie ahead.

The New York-based e-commerce site for handmade and vintage goods blamed currency headwinds and marketing expenses for a loss of $6.35 million in the second quarter ended June 30. That was wider than the $3.15 million reported a year earlier. Sales rose 44% from a year ago to $61.4 million, matching the sales growth from three months prior.

Armonk, N.Y. -- IBM has partnered with Tractor Supply Company to revamp and migrate the retailer’s online operation to provide Tractor Supply customers with an easier way to connect, browse and shop for goods and services online.

At the heart of the solution is a completely redesigned website for Tractor Supply that provides optimal viewing across all devices, easier integration with social media pages, and a simplified check-out process.

New York -- The retailer whose customers often call it the “Whole Foods for pets” is expanding in the Chicago area as it looks to leverage what has become a $58 billion industry.

Kriser's Natural Pet is bringing the natural pet movement to the west suburbs of Chicago with a grand opening in Naperville on Aug. 15-16. A second grand opening will take place in Northbrook on Aug. 29-30.

Brooklyn, N.Y. – Etsy Inc. assembled a growing net loss in the second quarter of fiscal 2015, despite improving sales results. Net loss doubled to $6.4 million from $3.2 million in the second quarter a year earlier.

Greenwich, Conn. -- Starwood Retail Partners, the retail operating platform formed by Starwood Capital Group, announced that it has named Angela Aman CFO, effective Aug. 10. Aman brings more than a decade of experience as a financial executive to her newly created position, including having spent the last four years as CFO and treasurer of Retail Properties of America, Inc.

Aman will be responsible for strategic planning, implementing and management of all accounting and financial functions, as well as investor relations and partner reporting.

Grand Rapids, Mich. -- Meijer is on the move in Wisconsin.  

Continuing an estimated $750 million investment in Wisconsin, Meijer on Tuesday opened two more superstores in the state. The retailer announced plans to open two to three new Wisconsin locations per year through 2019.

Meijer, which now operates 222 stores, entered Wisconsin just six weeks ago, with two stores. The retailer traditionally focused its growth on five states: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky.

Toys"R"Us is headed to a galaxy far, far away with its next promotion.