eCommerce

Average spending per person is forecast to decline this Easter despite pent up demand from a long cold winter, according to new consumer research from the National Retail Federation.

Guess? has appointed Joseph Gromek to its board, increasing the number of directors to seven and bringing the total number of independent directors to five. Gromek will also serve on the compensation and nominating and governance committees of the board.

New York -- Japanese online giant Rakuten has teamed up with First Bankcard to launch the Rakuten Rewards MasterCard Program, which provides cardholders with reward points for using their credit card to shop on Rakuten.com and elsewhere.

Rakuten.com, formerly Buy.com, is Rakuten's U.S. marketplace, offering consumers more than 17 million products at everyday low prices from a network of small and large business shop owners.

Hong Kong -- Coach announced that it has retained Studio Sofield, led by designer and president William Sofield, as creative advisor in the development of the company's next generation retail concept.

The new concept will be unveiled in fall 2014, with the company's 4,000-sq.-ft. flagship in Beverly Hills, Calif., followed by the Coach store at the Time Warner Center in New York City (5,335 sq. ft.).

Fort Worth, Texas - RadioShack has opened two new concept stores in China and Malaysia, marking the brand's most recent moves throughout Asia and Southeast Asia.

Working with joint venture partner FIH (First Honest Enterprises Limited), RadioShack introduced its first concept store in China on March 21 with a grand opening ceremony at Huacao Town, Shanghai. RadioShack and franchise partner Berjaya Retail Berhad also relaunched a completely renovated existing store at Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on March 26.

Washington, D.C. -- The average American celebrating the Easter holiday in 2014 will spend an average of $137.46 on apparel, food, candy, gifts and more. According to the National Retail Federation’s Easter Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, this is slightly less than the $145.13 spent last year.

Newegg is building on its e-commerce presence in the United States with a pilot program that makes a limited selection of its products available to customers in the United Kingdom and Australia. The company said the move is “an important first step” in its international expansion plans.

Minneapolis — Twin Cities’ fashion retailer “Len” has renewed its lease at Minneapolis City Center with a seven-year commitment. The existing 7,196-sq.-ft. store is the retailer’s only downtown location following the consolidation of several brands and stores over the last six months. The chain operates five more locations in Minnesota and one in Illinois.

Minneapolis City Center is the two-story retail portion of a 1.6 million mixed-use property owned by Shorenstein Properties LLC.