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.

Columbus, Ohio -- Express Inc. said on Thursday that its fiscal first-quarter profit fell to $5.08 million, from $32.4 million a year earlier. The company also announced it will close approximately 50 stores during the next 36 months, primarily at the end of their leases, even as it ramps up expansion of its of its new outlet-store concept. Express debuted its outlet format this past April.

Although controversial Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries said he was pleased that the company’s earnings for the first quarter ended May 3 were in line with expectations, comparable-store sales dropped for the ninth straight quarter.

The company widened its loss in the quarter to $23.7 million, or 32 cents per share, from $7.2 million, or 9 cents per share, in the prior-year quarter. Total net sales decreased 2% to $822.4 million, while comparable-store sales decreased 4%.

Solid sales growth at Costco during the second quarter and a 6% same store sales increase at U.S. clubs did not translate into strong profits for the warehouse club operator whose earnings fell shy of analysts’ estimates.

New York — & Other Stories, a sibling brand to H&M, has leased a 10,915-sq.-ft. space at 575 Broadway in the SoHo district of Manhattan, according to RKF, which represented the landlord, 575 Broadway Associates LP, in the transaction. Cole Schotz provided legal counsel. CBRE represented & Other Stories.

New York -- Teen retailer Delia’s announced that its CFO, David Dick, has resigned. He will remain with the company through Aug. 1.