eCommerce

By Sherry Orel, [email protected]

Retail today is supposed to be all about the experience. After all, it’s so easy to shop online. And yet so many retailers could be providing a much richer customer experience if they only made a few simple changes that meet customers needs and expectations.

Union, N.J. – Bed, Bath & Beyond Inc. reported positive financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2013. Although net earnings fell from $206.8 million to $202.5 million, net earnings per diluted share increased roughly 4.5% from $0.89 to $0.93.

Lexington, Mass. - Stride Rite Children's Group has opened its latest “Milestone” concept store at Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio. The Milestone concept includes features such as shelves at varying heights so children can easily see all of the styles available, a dedicated “Fit Station” where children can get their feet measured and find out how tall they are by standing against the Fit Totem Pole, rainbow carpeting and a more open floor plan.

DSW’s division the Affiliated Business Group has entered into a joint agreement with Loehmann’s which renders ABG the sole supplier for Loehmann’s footwear departments in the company’s U.S. locations and e-commerce site.

The initial roll out is expected to begin at a few stores starting December, with the balance of the chain and e-commerce launching in the first quarter 2014. ABG will plan, procure and deliver the entire women's and men's footwear inventory, while Loehmann’s will provide staffing for the shoe departments.

Expectations are high that Walmart will accelerate expansion of its small format Express stores when 2014 capital expansion plans are announced this fall. If that’s the case, the company will be entering a crowded landscape.

Already, Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree stores operate upwards of 20,000 units with considerable overlap. Now, new data out this week shows the number of units operated by traditional convenience store retailers, especially the well-capitalized operators of larger format C-stores, continues to grow.

OMAHA, Neb. — Oriental Trading Company, a direct retailer of value-priced party supplies, arts and crafts, toys, novelties and school supplies owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, has acquired brainy toy manufacturer MindWare Holdings.

MindWare is a manufacturer, wholesaler and direct retailer of what it describes as “brainy toys for kids of all ages,” based in Minneapolis, Minn. Oriental Trading Company is headquartered in Omaha, Neb. 

Austin, Texas – Digital coupon provider RetailMeNot is expanding into Canada with the launch of its new RetailMeNot.ca site. The site provides Canadian consumers with access to thousands of digital coupons for more than 6,000 retailers doing business in Canada.

Los Altos, Calif. – Catalog Spree, which promotes itself as a “digital mall” providing online access to retail catalogs, has added several brands to its mobile shopping app. Retailers — including Forever 21, JC Penney, Kohl's, Target, Toms Shoes, Torrid and Urban Outfitters — now have Catalog Spree “lookbooks” that provide online browsing of catalog-style product selections. Catalog Spree also has added a price watch feature that sends users automatic notifications when prices on desired goods drop to a certain point.

Jacksonville, Fla. – Stein Mart has named Jay Stein, its interim CEO since September 2011, as permanent CEO. Stein has been chairman of Stein Mart’s board of directors since 1989 and will remain in that position. He also served as CEO from 1990 to 2001.