eCommerce

DALLAS — Although J.C. Penney reported a wider-than-expected loss in the second quarter on a nearly 12% drop in revenue, small signs suggest that interim CEO Myron Ullman may be starting to turn things around.

The quarter was the first entirely under Ullman’s watch. Ullman returned to the retailer in April to undo the strategy put in place by Ron Johnson, who planned to transform J.C. Penney stores into a series of branded in-store shops.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — TJX’s net income for the second quarter ended Aug. 3 rose a better-than-expected 14%. The off-price retailer also increased its profit outlook for the year.

The company earned $479.6 million for the quarter, which ended on Aug. 3, up from $421.1 million in the same quarter last year.

NEW YORK — Barnes & Noble reported a worse-than-expected net loss of $87 million for the first quarter, compared to a loss of $39.8 million in the year-ago period. The bookseller’s troubles mounted with the news that its founder, chairman and largest shareholder, Leonard Riggio, was calling off his offer to buy the company’s retail business.

Barnes & Noble’s founder, chairman and largest shareholder, Leonard Riggio, is calling off his offer to buy the company’s retail business, following a worse-than-expected net loss of $87 million for the first quarter, compared to a loss of $39.8 million in the year-ago period. 

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Staples is generating traffic to its brick-and-mortar stores with its ink and toner cartridge recycling program. Since 2005, it has recycled 350 million ink and toner cartridges, averaging more than 60 million cartridges per year for the past three years. 

Strengths in several merchandise categories, including women’s contemporary and advanced designer apparel; fragrances; children’s apparel; and men’s accessories, shoes and contemporary apparel contributed to a comparable store sales increase of 1.5% in the second quarter ended August 3 at Saks Incorporated.

CHICAGO — With an eye on new growth opportunities, Tommy Bahama has selected the Hybris commerce platform to improve its omnichannel commerce capabilities.

A leading retailer of island-inspired apparel and home furnishings, Tommy Bahama has seen growth in it online commerce throughout the past few years. Tommy Bahama also offers in-store kiosks, where shoppers can access a commerce channel that enables an "endless aisle" of available products —allowing shoppers to access out-of-stock or online-exclusive items directly in-store.

NEW YORK — Canadian shoppers aren’t wowed by Target Corp., according to a customer-satisfaction rating survey by Forum Research. As reported in The Globe and Mail, the survey ranked Target at the bottom of a list of major retailers operating in Canada. (Satisfaction as measured by the survey relates to service, prices and/or merchandise offering.)

Over all, Target scored a mean 2.7 out of 4, compared with Costco’s 3.5, Wal-Mart’s 3.1 and a 3.2 average.