eCommerce

Scottsdale, Ariz. - Retailers and consumer goods manufacturers are spending to improve their omnichannel sales capabilities. While this may not be surprising given the current business environment, a new report prepared for JDA Software Group Inc. by PwC, “The Omnichannel Fulfillment Imperative,” reveals that only 16% of companies say, the present time, they can fulfill omnichannel demand profitably.

Plano, Texas – A senior executive at The J.C. Penney Co. Inc. has accidentally disclosed same-store sales growth to date in the first quarter of fiscal 2015. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Penney said the executive sent an email to an analyst including the information that same-store sales have increased 6% so far in the quarter, ending in May 2015, with the retailer expecting growth to total 3.5%-4.5% for the full quarter.

Youngstown, Ohio -- The Picture People will open new studios in four Cafaro malls, according to the Youngstown, Ohio-based mall owner. The studios, which range in size from 1,800 sq. ft. to 2,700 sq. ft., will open by late May in Eastwood Mall (Niles, Ohio), Governor’s Square Mall (Clarksville, Tennessee), Huntington Mall (Barboursville, West Virginia) and Kentucky Oaks Mall (Paducah, Kentucky). In each case, this will be the first location for The Picture People in those respective states.

Littleton, Mass. - Dover Saddlery Inc. entered into a definitive merger agreement with a company formed by Webster Capital. Webster will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Dover common stock for $8.50 per share in cash and take Dover private.

Seattle -- Nordstrom announced it is donating one percent of every gift card sale to local nonprofits in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada.

"When a customer buys a gift card this Mother's Day and beyond, we hope they'll feel good knowing that the gift they're giving is a part of Nordstrom helping some great non-profit organizations do amazing things for their communities,” said Jamie Nordstrom, president of stores for Nordstrom.

With Earth Day upon the retail industry all sorts of operators are touting accomplishments, including Staples where an impressive milestone demonstrates how a company can do well by doing good.

The company said it has collected more than 450 million ink and toner cartridges for recycling in the U.S. since 2005, averaging more than 60 million cartridges per year for the past four years. Through the cartridge recycling program, Staples has helped recover and recycle 234 million pounds of plastics and metals, diverting roughly the weight of 8,000 full garbage trucks from landfills.

Center City, Pa. -- X Team International, an international alliance of retail real estate advisors, announced that partner MSC Retail has completed a lease transaction with New Balance Experience Store at 1615 Walnut Street in Center City.

The new 2,200-sq.-ft. ground-floor retail space is located on Philadelphia’s leading high street, and will sit alongside The Apple Store, Urban Outfitters and Free People. It opened on April 1.

Sears Holdings will eventually need to sell more stuff to shoppers to remain viable as a retailer, but in the meantime the company has shown itself to be more adept at generating cash through complex real estate deals that unlock the value of an increasingly less productive store base.