eCommerce

Philadelphia — Century 21 has signed into The Gallery in Center City Philadelphia. It is the iconic fashion retailer’s first location outside of the New York market, according to the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, the owner and manager of The Gallery.

Dallas - DGSE Companies Inc. has closed all locations in its Southern Bullion Coin and Jewelry division. As previously disclosed, six Southern Bullion locations were closed in February, and subsequently, four additional locations were closed in early April, and the final 13 locations were closed on or about April 21, 2014.

The Wet Seal is winding down its Arden B brand. Arden B currently operates 54 mall-based stores and an e-commerce site. In the fiscal year ended Feb. 1, the brand generated net sales of $60.4 million and represented 11% of consolidated net sales.

“This was a difficult decision that followed a comprehensive review of the business and market dynamics. We would like to thank all of our Arden B team members for their hard work and dedication to the brand, and also extend our gratitude to our loyal customers,” said CEO John D. Goodman.

Indianapolis - The Finish Line Inc. Gart Capital Partners (GCP) have agreed to Finish Line increasing its ownership in Running Specialty Group (RSG). GCP will retain an ownership position in RSG, maintain two positions on the RSG board of directors and will continue to provide leadership in ongoing business development opportunities.

Seattle – Amazon.com is reportedly piloting an in-house delivery service that would use trucks driven by Amazon-hired contractors to deliver packages from area distribution centers to customer homes. According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon.com is testing the service in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.

The service could potentially reduce shipping times and costs and also enable same-day shipping. It is also seen as a direct competitive move against UPS, as well as Wal-Mart, EBay and Google.

New York – Aeropostale has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against rival specialty apparel retailer H&M. The suit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, alleges that H&M used the phrase “Live Love Dream,” trademarked by Aeropostale, on apparel and accessory items.

Aeropostale says it notified H&M of the infringement, but H&M did not cease using the trademarked phrase. H&M has not publicly responded to the suit yet.

Miami Gardens, Fla. — Demolition has begun at Palmetto Gardens Plaza, a 7.1-acre shopping center site in Miami Gardens, Fla. The site is being prepared for the development of a 63,000-sq.-ft. shopping center that will include a 41,000-sq.-ft. Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market and an additional inline and outparcel space of 20,000 sq. ft. — now available for lease.

Seattle – Amazon.com’s net income soared 32% during the first quarter of fiscal 2014, climbing to $108 million from $82 million the same quarter a year earlier. Net sales increased 23% to $19.74 billion in the first quarter, compared with $16.07 billion in first quarter 2013.