eCommerce

San Jose, Calif. – Many consumers assume eBay is simply a place to sell or buy used merchandise. However, the online commerce platform is actually robust enough to support a thriving retail business selling new goods.

Mount Shasta, Calif. – Following the lead of Pinocchio, online puppet and educational toy retailer ePuppets Inc. is joining the “real” world.

E-Puppets will open its first physical store on July 4, in its headquarters town of Mount Shasta, California.

With consumers’ “I want it now” mentality, today’s retailers seem to be investing in ways to get products to customers faster. Retailers are scrambling to get their products to customers with overnight, same-day, four-hour, one-hour and other delivery options. Such offers help on two fronts: they satisfy the needy customer and give the perception that one retailer is offering more options than others to differentiate the brand.

Seattle – Lovers of the great outdoors in the Cleveland and Philadelphia areas have something else to celebrate as Independence Day approaches.

Outdoor gear and apparel retailer announced it will open new stores in fall 2016 in Cleveland and in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

Barnes & Noble is hoping that hiring a CEO with experience launching electronics products will help revive its Nook e-reader division.

The retailer has named Ronald D. Boire, currently president and CEO of Sears Canada Inc., to become the CEO of its new retail division.

Dublin, Calif. -- dd’s Discounts, a division of Ross Stores, Inc., opened a new store in Tampa on June 27.  

The 22,000-sq.-ft. store, located in University Plaza on the northwest corner of Fletcher Avenue and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, marks the retailer’s 26th store in Florida and secures the state as dd’s third-largest in terms of store counts.

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less will open a new store in Montrose, Colorado, on July 18, as well as a new store in Phoenix on the same day, adding to its western U.S. store counts.

The 27,000-sq.-ft. Montrose, Colorado, store is located in the River Landing shopping center at US Highway 550 and Rio Grande Avenue, 60 miles southeast of Grand Junction.  

New York -- Eyewear online retailer Warby Parker continues its brick-and-mortar expansion. With 12 stores now open, the company plans to open seven more locations by year end, according to fashionista.com.

Warby Parker’s next location is Kansas City, opening later this summer, followed by Scottsdale and San Diego. To read more, click here.