eCommerce

Vienna, Va. -- Golfsmith announced it will open its first metro Washington, D.C., location in Tysons Corner, Va., this June. The new location is part of an aggressive growth strategy for the company.

Golfsmith’s stores offer an interactive experience, and customers are encouraged to test out clubs and gear inside the store before purchasing. They can also use one of the four custom-fitting studios to test drive new clubs. The company also offers free custom club fitting services.

In case you missed it because you were too busy putting away the noisemakers or watching college football, the first day of 2011 was not just another New Year’s Day. It was a significant generational milestone: The first members of the Baby Boom generation turned 65.

New York City -- Triple Five Worldwide Development Co. LLC, owner of the Mall of America in Minnesota, reached a deal with lenders and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to complete and expand the stalled Meadowlands Xanadu entertainment complex in East Rutherford, N.J., Bloomberg reported.

Mother’s Day may be considered a “Hallmark Holiday,” but that won’t stop consumers from showering mom with gifts on May 8. According to NRF’s 2011 Mother’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions survey, conducted by BIGresearch, the average person celebrating the holiday is expected to spend $140.73 on gifts, up from $126.90 last year, and a return to 2008 spending levels. Total spending is expected to reach $16.3 billion.

Regional supermarket chains that offer grocery delivery services may soon have some competition from Walmart if its program is expanded nationwide. According to several reports including one in The Wall Street Journal and another in The New York Times, Walmart is testing its Walmart To Go service in San Jose, Calif. 

Naperville, Ill. -- OfficeMax said Thursday that its net income dropped 53% in the first quarter.

Net income fell to $11.9 million from $25.4 million. Revenue fell 2.8% to $1.86 billion, though it beat analysts' estimates

The company blamed bad weather, store discounts and "an unfavorable product sales mix shift" in the technology department. Revenue from direct sales to business customers fell more steeply than revenue in stores.

New York City -- Newegg and QVC took top honors in the retail category in Compuware Gomez’s Best of the Web 2010 Awards, which honor the strongest web performers across various industries. The retail winners were determined based on the annual cumulative response time, availability and consistency of their web and mobile sites, as well as multi-step business process transactions

Sidney, Neb. -- Cabela's said Thursday that stronger revenue helped its fiscal first-quarter profit more than double from results weighed down by a hefty charge a year ago.

The reported net income of $17.8 million in the three months ended April 2, up from $8.1 million a year earlier.

The year-ago period included an $11.9 million charge related to a 2009 FDIC compliance examination.

Revenue increased 5% to $586.7 million, from $559.6 million. Same-store sales rose 8.9%.

New York City -- Wal-Mart Stores CEO Mike Duke said rising gas prices are hurting the chain’s main customers, who are having an even harder time stretching their dollars to the next payday than they did a year ago.

"There's no doubt that rising fuel prices are having an impact on our customers," said Duke at an event that was part of The Wall Street Journal's executive breakfast series,  according to the Associated Press. "There's more pressure."

St. Louis -- Build-A-Bear Workshop is teaming up with Orlando International Airport to open a new store in mid-May. It will be the first Build-A-Bear Workshop store located inside an airport.

The Build-A-Bear Workshop store at Orlando International Airport will be located in the Main Terminal. The store will provide the same experience and interaction as mall-based Build-A-Bear Workshop retail locations.