eCommerce

New York -- Target Corp. on Sunday, July 27, will unveil its small-store format, TargetExpress, in Minneapolis.

The 20,000-sq.-ft. store is located on the street level on an apartment building near the University of Minnesota campus and is also close to the retailer’s headquarters.  

New York - Shopping app Stylewhile is launching a new online marketplace for emerging and independent designers. The iPad app allows users to virtually try-on different items, mix and match pieces from multiple brands, and buy online.

Stylewhile's virtual fitting room service allows users to try on clothes on a model of a chosen body type. Established retailers and brands will also be available through the app, meaning shoppers can mix and match multiple brands in the one look.

Indianapolis - Julie Lyle, chief marketing officer of Hhgregg, has been named the 2015 chairperson for the Global Retail Marketing Association (GRMA) Advisory Board, an association for C-level executives from global retailers. As chairperson, Lyle will lead the GRMA Advisory Board and play a key role in the development of the organization’s strategic initiatives and thought leadership.

Plano, Texas – Net earnings at Rent-A-Center Inc. fell 58% year-over-year in the second quarter of fiscal 2014, to $17.5 million from $41.9 million. Costs related to pretax restructuring and the consolidation of 150 stores into core U.S. stores helped reduce total net earnings.

Bogota, Colombia – Colombian coffee retailer Juan Valdez has opened the first of 60 planned stores in Miami, with official grand opening scheduled for July 28. The downtown location is the first Juan Valdez store in Miami besides an existing store at Miami International Airport.

New York - The back-to-school (BTS) shopping season is already in full swing, with over one-third (37%) of consumers having begun their shopping – up from the 29% who started at this time last year, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. And roughly 90% of households indicated a selection of brick-and-mortar retail as a shopping venue for the BTS season.

Dallas - Roman Kikta, managing partner and founder of Mobility Ventures, has joined Tantrum Street’s board of directors and will provide strategic guidance for the retail technology startup as it rolls out its Cartwheel Register mobile checkout app and Skip Wallet digital wallet app to the North American market.

Plano, Texas – Net earnings at Rent-A-Center Inc. fell 58% year-over-year in the second quarter of fiscal 2014, to $17.5 million from $41.9 million. Costs related to pretax restructuring and the consolidation of 150 stores into core U.S. stores helped reduce total net earnings.