eCommerce

Americans have never had greater access to amazing consumer electronics products thanks to eye-popping innovation that is translating to uneven growth and interesting implications for the holiday season, according to the latest sales projections from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).

Chesapeake, Va. - Randy Guiler has joined Dollar Tree Inc. as VP, investor relations. Guiler, 49, is joining Dollar Tree after nearly 15 years with Tractor Supply Company, including leading Tractor Supply’s investor relations efforts for the past 10 years.

Prior to his role as VP, investor relations & corporate communications, Guiler also had responsibility for Tractor Supply’s treasury and risk management functions. Guiler will succeed Timothy Reid, 61, who is retiring.

Welcome to CSA First Look, a showcase for new stores and formats. This inaugural edition spotlights the first physical store of  hot Internet start-up Birchbox, the 800,000 members and growing beauty subscription company. Located in Manhattan's SoHo, the  duplex-styled, 4,500-sq.-ft. store combines the hottest new products with beauty services and weekly make-up classes. Similar to the Birchbox web site, the store puts a big emphasis on expert advice and reader reviews, offered via the touchcreens and iPads located throughout the space.  

Leading footwear manufacturer and retailer Wolverine World Wide plans to close 140 stores in the next 18 months as part of a strategic realignment plan focused on strengthening omnichannel capabilities.

Most of the stores to be closed operate under the company’s Stride Rite banner. Sixty of the units will close by year end with the remainder to close next year, the company said. The disclosure was made in conjunction with the release of solid financial results for the company’s second quarter ended July 14.

San Francisco -- Splunk Inc. announced that British retailer John Lewis is using Splunk Enterprise to deliver operational and customer insight across the retailer’s website.

Originally selected to search and alert on John Lewis’ IT infrastructure, Splunk Enterprise is now also used for digital intelligence through real-time analysis of data from e-commerce platforms to better understand purchasing trends, improve customer experience and drive higher conversion rates.

Simon, a global leader in retail real estate, has appointed retail and real estate executive Stephen Yalof as CEO of premium outlets and senior EVP of Simon.

Yalof has served as SVP of real estate for Ralph Lauren Corporation since 2002. His 15 years of experience within the retail industry also includes his role as senior director of real estate for Gap. Yalof began his career in real estate under the leadership of Arnold Labich at New Plan Realty Trust, and became VP of leasing for their factory outlet business.  

New York – A majority of Americans say they have purchased clothing (69%), digital content (59%), and accessories such as handbags and shoes (54%) online, while half (49%) have purchased personal electronics such as digital music players or tablets in this fashion. However, according to a recent Harris Poll of 2,241 U.S. adults, nearly eight-in-10 respondents indicated an in-person preference for general food purchases such as groceries (78%).

New York -- The daily-deals website LivingSocial on Tuesday named Gautam Thakar, a longtime eBay executive, as its incoming president and CEO. Thakar heads the e-commerce giant's Shopping.com price comparison site.

He will replace co-founder and outgoing CEO Tim O’Shaughnessy by mid-August.