eCommerce

Columbus, Ohio – A subsidiary of Express Inc. has entered into a franchise agreement with Edcon Group, a retail franchise operator in South Africa, to bring the Express brand to South Africa. The Express brand is expected to launch as a store-in-store concept at select Edgars department stores by the end of 2014 with standalone Express store locations to open in 2015.

Express has identified international expansion as one of the company's four pillars of growth and a significant long-term revenue opportunity for the company.

New York -- Fast Retailing Co.’s Comptoir des Cotonniers division, a French fashion brand, has launched a new service, “Fast Shopping,” which allows European shoppers to purchase items in 20 seconds on their mobile devices via an application from Powa Technologies, London. Shoppers using the PowaTag app can scan items they see on ads in various places to make the purchase and with one click, complete the transaction and have the goods delivered to their home within 48 hours.

United Stationers’ wholly owned subsidiary, United Stationers Supply Co., has completed its acquisition of CPO Commerce.

Established in 2004, CPO is a leading online tool retailer. CPO's fiscal year 2013 sales were $78 million, with a sustained track record of double-digit annual growth. The e-retailer partners with top manufacturers and sells their products through independent brand-focused online stores. CPO online stores carry a full selection of new products and an industry-leading selection of factory-reconditioned products.

New York – Fairway Market has begun working with Google Express to launch an online shopping platform with same-day delivery throughout Manhattan. The shopping interface allows consumers to shop approximately 12,000 Fairway SKUs seamlessly across multiple devices.

The integration of Google Express allows Fairway to leverage Google's technology and distribution network to increase delivery capacity and expand the Fairway footprint.

New York — Faith Hope Consolo, chairman, and Joseph Aquino, executive VP of Douglas Elliman’s Retail Group, has leased a multi-level space at 45 East 58th Street in the Plaza District in Manhattan, to Caruso, the exclusive Italian menswear label.

The new location will be Caruso’s first in the United States. It will be the brand’s New York flagship and showroom.

Formerly the Spanierman Gallery, the unusually large space encompasses more than 11,000 sq. ft. on two levels.

Los Angeles -- Another online retailer is taking the brick-and-mortar plunge. California lifestyle brand Gypsy05 announced it will open its first two retail locations at the end of this month. After nearly 10 years of business, the brand has decided to open branded Gypsy05 retail stores, in Beverly Hills, and in the Malibu Country Mart in Malibu, California. The brand is set to open a third location, in Orange County, California, later this year, but real estate negotiations have not been completed.

Same-store sales declined again last year at Fairway Market and the company reported a record loss, but a new same-day delivery initiative with Google Express in Manhattan offers potential for omnichannel growth.
 

First-quarter sales at Guess fell in North America and Europe. Despite a net loss of $2.1 million, compared with net earnings of $9.9 million in the year-ago period, the company touted strong momentum in its e-commerce business, adding that it remains a key initiative as consumer demand continues shifting to that channel.