eCommerce

New York -- Sports Authority has hired Jeremy Aguilar as CFO. Aguilar, who most recently served as CFO of Hhgregg, replaces former Sports Authority CFO Tom Hendrickson, who retired from the company.

“Jeremy’s expertise in finance and accounting will play a critical role in further strengthening Sports Authority,” said CEO Michael E. Foss. “He will be a valuable asset to the team; we are thrilled to have him on board.”

New York -- Even as online shopping continues to grow, more U.S. shoppers are planning to make purchases from physical stores in 2014, according to a survey by Accenture. In the “seamless retailing” study, 21% of U.S. shoppers said they plan to increase their in-store purchasing, up from just 9% in last year’s study.

Owings Mills, Md. — Designer Shoe Warehouse has inked a deal to open a new store at Waugh Chapel Towne Centre in Gambrills, Md., between Annapolis and Baltimore, this summer. DSW has leased a 10,010-sq.-ft. space that the property’s owner Greenberg Gibbons will expand to 16,680 sq. ft. The deal leases the project up to 100%.

Many fingers pointed at Target after the retailer suffered a massive data breach during the holidays, but preventing the next cyber attack is beyond the scope of any single company, according to testimony retail representatives shared with lawmakers on Monday.

Seattle - Nordstrom, Inc. plans to relocate its full-line store to a new space within Ala Moana Center, Honolulu, Hawaii. The new three-level, approximately 186,000-sq.-ft. store is expected to open spring 2016.

Los Angeles — CIG Retail Properties has acquired the 170,739-sq.-ft. Garden Park Shopping Center in the Dallas, Texas, suburb of Lewisville, for an undisclosed amount. CBRE’s private capital group in Dallas negotiated the sale on behalf of the seller, a special servicer.

World Gym and Thrift City anchor the center. The tenant line-up includes Precision Sports Nutrition, Edward Jones, The UPS Store and Lewisville Soccer.

New York – Saks Fifth Avenue is reportedly planning to both increase the amount of high-end luxury goods it sells and also increase the number of Saks Off 5th outlet stores it operates. According to the Wall Street Journal, Richard Baker, CEO of Canadian department store chain (and new Saks owner) Hudson’s Bay Company wants to overhaul Saks stores by selling more items such as $48,000 Louis Vuitton crocodile handbags.

When it comes to meeting consumer expectations, the stakes for retailers have never been higher. Digital age consumers are more discerning, have high expectations for the quality of product information and use technology in a variety of ways to make educated purchasing decisions. They use search engines to get more information about a product or brand. They comparison-shop online. They visit manufacturers’ websites. They read online endorsements, reviews and recommendations.