eCommerce

The end of a retail icon is always big news in commercial real estate, and it’s particularly relevant when the brand in question is closing more than 4,000 stores around the country.

The e-commerce world in which Deliv CEO Daphne Carmeli lives is one where the fastest delivery method is also the least expensive. How can that be?

Minneapolis – Christopher & Banks Corp. on Tuesday swung to a profit of $32.2 million for the fourth quarter, after reporting a loss in the same period a year earlier.

Net sales totaled $98.0 million, as compared to $104.9 million for the year-ago period. During the quarter, the company operated an average of 7.0% fewer stores than during the comparable period last year, reflecting its store conversion program.

The retailer posted revenue of $98 million in the period.

Fresh & Easy plans to close 55 stores, which would leave the chain with about 110 locations, the Orange Country Register<span style="color: rgb(54, 54, 54); font-

New York -- Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) on Tuesday posted a 36% jump in its first quarter profit, easily beating forecasts, and confirmed earlier reports that it plans to open 400 stores in its current fiscal year, with most of the locations in China and the United States. In New York, it will open a 61,000-sq.-ft. flagship — one of the largest H&Ms to date — in Manhattan’s Herald Square area.
   

Bellport, N.Y. – Perfumania Holdings is launching a new digital corporate platform. Conceived and built by Ready Set Rocket, the new Perfumania digital corporate presence includes a fully redesigned corporate website.

In addition, Ready Set Rocket set forth a digital strategy for the new Perfumania Holdings digital corporate identity focused on the following core elements:

Swedish retailer H&M, which has already made huge waves in the United States, is now eyeing even more global omnichannel expansion.

The company is planning to open 400 new physical stores, a new flagship in New York City’s Herald Square, and at least nine new online stores.

The retailer also reported results for the first quarter ended Feb. 28. H&M reported that net profit climbed 36% to 3.61 billion kronor ($423.2 million), versus a year-ago profit of 2.65 billion kronor ($311.9 million). Analysts were expecting a profit of 3.37 billion kronor.

San Francisco – Electronic payment provider Square Inc. is extending its Square Cash e-checking service to businesses. Square is launching Square Cash Pro for Business as an offshoot of its Square Cash personal e-checking service, introduced in 2013.

Retailers using Cash Pro can accept payments from any Cash customer through the Cash app, via email, with $Cashtags, or online from Cash.me. $Cashtags allow businesses to accept electronic payments without revealing an email address or phone number.