eCommerce

Washington, D.C. -- Import volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to grow 1.8% in December, compared to the same month last year, and the year should end with an increase of 2.3% from 2012. According to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates, U.S. ports followed by Global Port Tracker handled 1.43 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU) in October, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available.

Genesco, the company behind Lids and Journeys, is the latest company to express concern about the holiday season and lower fourth-quarter expectations after producing a solid third-quarter performance.

Wilmington, N.C. — Dick’s Sporting Goods and Marshalls will anchor Phase II of the 203,000-sq.-ft. Mayfaire Community Center in the master-planned 400-acre mixed-use community of Mayfaire in Wilmington, N.C. Harris Teeter anchors Phase I of the center.

Specialty retailer Five Below offered a somewhat muted outlook for holiday sales despite posting impressive growth in third-quarter same-store sales and achieving record expansion in 2013.

The company has opened 60 new stores this year and its same-store sales grew 9% during the period ended Nov. 2. Of the new stores opened this year, 28 came online during the third quarter and 11 of those were in Dallas, a new market for the rapidly expanding company.

Beachwood, Ohio — DDR Corp. has announced the completion of a $12 million redevelopment project at Sandy Plains Village, a power center located in the Atlanta suburb of Roswell.

The redevelopment installed a 60,000-sq.-ft. Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market in a space formerly occupied by a traditional grocer. The new location is DDR’s 79th Wal-Mart store and the company’s eighth in the Atlanta market.

Washington, D.C. -- The retail industry will lose an estimated $8.76 billion to return fraud this year, and $3.39 billion during the holiday season alone, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2013 Return Fraud Survey. Overall, 5.8% of holiday returns are fraudulent, up slightly from 4.6% last year.

The retail industry will lose an estimated $8.76 billion to return fraud this year, and $3.39 billion during the holiday season alone, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2013 Return Fraud Survey. Overall, 5.8% of holiday returns are fraudulent, up slightly from 4.6% last year.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores reported mostly negative financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2013. Net earnings fell about 12% to $7.69 million, from $8.76 million.

A 2% decrease in same-store sales and unfavorable calendar shift due to the 53rd week in fiscal 2012 offset slight growth in net sales to $561.1 million from $556.9 million.