eCommerce

Target announced that Steve Eastman, president of Target.com, left the retailer to pursue other opportunities. Eastman’s departure follows a late August relaunch of Target.com.

COMMERCE, Calif. — The investment group that agreed to buy 99 Cents Only Stores for $1.6 billion must be pleased with the discounter's second-quarter results.

99 Cents Only Stores reported total sales of $363 million for the second quarter, an increase of 8.8% over total sales of $333.6 million for the same quarter last year. Same-store sales for the quarter were up 6.7%. The number of same-store-sales transactions increased 4.7% and the average transaction size increased to $9.62 from $9.44, the company reported.

New York City -- Amazon is testing robotic delivery lockers that people can use to receive items they order from the website, according to published reports.

Wired magazine reported online that the company was conducting the tests in Seattle and New York at Rite Aid and 7-Eleven stores, as well as other locations. The new service would allow people to select a locker location for delivery and then go to retrieve their items automatically using a six-digit code.

Middleton, Wis. -- American Girl, a division of Mattel, will open a store at Chesterfield Mall, in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield, Mo.

The 10,850-sq-.ft. American Girl store is slated to open in spring 2012.

Columbus, Ohio -- Victoria's Secret Direct said Thursday that former Giorgio Armani Corp. CEO Bridget Ryan-Berman has been named CEO of the Internet and catalogue division of Victoria's Secret and a subsidiary of Limited Brands.

Ryan-Berman replaces Pia Ferrario, who will remain as CEO through the holiday season and then transition into an advisory role with the company.

Ferrario joined Limited Brands in 1989 and was named CEO of Victoria's Secret Direct in 2007.

Commerce, Calif. -- 99 Cents Only Stores reported Friday that same-store sales for the second quarter rose 6.7%. The news comes just days after the discounter agreed to a $1.6 billion buyout by private equity firm Ares Management LLC and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.

Total revenue for the quarter ended Oct. 1 rose 8.8% to $363 million.
 

Stamford, Conn. -- Stein Mart and GE Capital’s Retail Finance business announced Friday the multi-year renewal of the Stein Mart co-branded credit card program.

Plans with the new agreement include launching a private label Stein Mart credit card in early 2012 that will be integrated into the customer loyalty program to drive sales and customer engagement.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. said Thursday that the president of Target.com, Steve Eastman, has departed the company to pursue other opportunities.

The retailer said the decision is unrelated to the performance of its online business. However, the crash of its website last month during the launch of its exclusive Missoni collection led to much criticism.

Eastman is the second major executive to leave Target this month.

PITTSBURGH — Dick's Sporting Goods announced that it is honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month with its "October -- The Power of Pink" campaign supporting the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Throughout October, Dick's Sporting Goods will feature a variety of pink ribbon items in its stores and online at www.DicksSportingGoods.com/pink from top brands including Nike, Reebok, Under Armour, Lady Hagen and MaxFli and is encouraging consumers to join in showing their support for the cause.

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook's influence on retail continues to grow as eBay announced that it has integrated the social network's Open Graph functionality into its storefront and fulfillment platforms.