eCommerce

Houston -- Specialty retailer Charming Charlie announced the appointment of four retail executives as part of the ongoing development of the company’s internal structure and another step in its ongoing national expansion, including the opening of 60 retail locations in 2012.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. -- Dollar General Corp. announced the opening of its 10,000 store, giving the retailer a coast-to-coast presence for the first time in its history. The location is in Merced, Calif., and is due to officially open on Saturday. It will be Dollar General’s fifth store to open in California.

“Opening the doors of our 10,000th store is a meaningful day for all of us at Dollar General, and we are excited to celebrate the occasion in California,” said Rick Dreiling, Dollar General’s chairman and CEO.

El Paso, Texas -- Freedom Crossing at Fort Bliss, the first-ever, open-air shopping center to be part of a United States military installation, announced that A'Gaci, O'shoes, and Texas Roadhouse will soon open at the retail destination. Comprised of more than 461,000 sq. ft. of gross leasable area, Freedom Crossing is one of the only shopping centers to be built in the United States in recent years, and the first opportunity for businesses to privately operate within an open-air center on a U.S. military installation

Indianapolis -- Finish Line Inc. posted earnings of $41.9 million for the fourth quarter, compared with $34.2 million in the year-ago period. But the chain forecast a plunge in first-quarter earnings due to lower margins.

Sales in the quarter ended March 3, 2012, rose 18.6% to $456.3 million, ahead of analyst estimates of $432.62 million. Same-store sales rose 10.8%.

For the full fiscal year, consolidated net sales increased 11.4% to $1.37 billion. Same-store sales increased 9.2%.

Indianapolis -- The Finish Line announced that Gart Capital Partners will invest $10 million in Finish Line’s Running Specialty Group, with the goal of creating the largest operator of specialty running shoe business in the United States.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, the nation's second largest tax preparation firm, has been named Supplier of the Year by Walmart's financial services division. Jackson Hewitt was recognized for: its aggressive expansion into over 750 new Walmart locations for the 2012 tax season, which increased its nationwide kiosk coverage in Walmart U.S.

MINNEAPOLIS — In a move to tighten its footprint and reduce costs, Best Buy Co. said Thursday it will close 50 of its signature big-box stores and open 100 of its small mobile locations in the United States in fiscal 2013. The shift will help cut $250 million in costs by 2013 and $800 million by 2015, said the electronics retailer.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Fans of H&M will soon have a new place to shop as the Swedish fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz AB confirmed Thursday that it will open a new chain in 2013 that will build on the 2007 launch of its upscale Collection of Style (COS). No name for the new concept has been revealed yet.

New York -- Fashion retailer Cache reported Thursday that net income for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 was $1.9 million, compared with a loss of $14.2 million the year-ago period.

Sales surged 12.5% to $62.9 million, from $55.9 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010. Same-store sales increased 12.4%.

Year to date the company has closed 12 underperforming stores and said it expects to close five more stores and open two in fiscal 2012.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. announced Thursday the location of its first 12 stores in Quebec. As previously announced, Target purchased the leasehold interests of 189 sites currently operated by Zellers Inc., and plans to open 125 to 135 stores in Canada, the majority of which will open in 2013.

Target said it intends to announce additional Quebec store locations in the coming months.

Target plans to open stores in the following locations in fall 2013: