eCommerce

Columbus, Ohio – Big Lots Inc. came up smaller than Wall Street expected with its fiscal performance in the third quarter of fiscal 2014. Net loss shrank to a higher-than-expected $3.44 million from $9.52 million in the same quarter the prior fiscal year.
  Net sales marginally grew to $1.11 billion from $1.1 billion, and same-store sales increased 1.4%. The company expects low-single-digit increases in same-store sales for the fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2014.
 

Genesco detailed succession plans for its CFO on a day that the company also reported weaker-than-expected earnings for the fiscal third quarter and lowered its outlook for the full year.

Philadelphia — Specialty retailer Five Below named current COO and industry veteran Joel Anderson as president and CEO, effective Feb.1., 2015.  Anderson has also been elected a member of the company's board of directors.  Current CEO and co-founder, Tom Vellios, who will work with Anderson to ensure a smooth transition, will remain active in the company as executive chairman.   

Houston — In its surprise change of leadership, Francesca's Holdings Corp. named Michael W. Barnes as chairman, president and CEO, effective immediately. He joins Fancesca's after serving as CEO of Signet Jewelers since 2011, and leading the company’s $1.46 billion acquisition of Zale Corp. Barnes left the Ohio-based Signet in October, saying he wanted to be closer to his family in Dallas.  

New York — Swedish fashion giant H&M’s higher-end brand COS will make its New York debut on Friday, in the SoHo section of Manhattan. It’s the brand’s second U.S. store—the first, in Los Angles, opened in October. 
  COS,  known for its clean lines and minimalist look, targets a more sophisticated customer than the more value-priced H&M.  The SoHo store has a upmarket feel and gallery-like look, enhanced by the use of glass and white-washed wood.
 

As the acquisition of Family Dollar moves closer to resolution, would-be acquirers Dollar Tree and Dollar General maintain widely differing views on the superiority of their respective offers and the opinion of federal regulators.

San Francisco — Shopping activity increased slightly from October in November 2014, but slumped compared to November of the previous year. Monthly retail benchmarks from in-store analytics provider Euclid reveal that  traffic lagged significantly throughout the month, with Black Friday also failing to match the previous year as deals were more distributed across time and channels.   

Fresh & Easy, the former Tesco-owned grocery format, is testing a dramatically new look at seven-plus stores in the Las Vegas market.

The stores have been remodeled with a more modern feel and layout and a greater emphasis on ready meal solutions, with such features as a “Fresh to Go” hot food bar, a pizza oven, a coffee bar and made-to-order sandwiches. There's also a revamped product selection with lower fixtures and a more abundant selection of fresh food.