eCommerce

Pittsburgh -- Dick's Sporting Goods said Tuesday its net income increased 30% in the fourth quarter on improving revenue.

The sporting goods retailer reported net income of $87.5 million in the quarter ended Jan. 29, from $67.4 million last year.

New York City -- Urban Outfitters will debut its newest brand, a bridal-shop concept called Bhldn, in early fall, in Houston. The company launched the brand online in February.

Urban Outfitters will open 50 to 55 stores in its current fiscal year, with the emphasis on growing its Free People brand and expansion of its namesake division and Anthropologie in Europe.

New York City -- Aeropostale announced that it has signed a licensing agreement with Montreal PTE Ltd., a joint venture between Apparel Group LLC and Jay Gee Melwani Group, to open approximately 25 stores across Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, over the next five years.

The first store is scheduled to open in Singapore later this year.

Nashville, Tenn. -- The Retail Orphan Initiative (RetailROI) announced that it has created a computer recycling program in partnership with the GEAR Foundation. The program, which recycles retailers’ computers that are less than four years old and have expired warranties, will immediately create jobs for physically and mentally challenged young adults as the computers are erased, refurbished, and resold.

New York City -- Wakefern Food Corp., parent of the ShopRite supermarket chain, plans to introduce its PriceRite discount format in Maryland, opening a 37,000-sq.-ft. store in Woodlawn on March 13.

Wakefern operates 45 corporate PriceRite locations, which feature both private-label and national brands in a value format.

WAYNE, N.J. – With reports of a possible IPO looming and strong quarterly results, Toys"R"Us is poised to dominate the toy sector, which has shown signs of a resurgence and renewed consumer interest, thanks to a number of innovations and must-have items as displayed during the 2011 Toy Fair. 

According to reports, the company is considering the idea of filing for an initial public offering this April, which is expected to raise about $800 million.

The March issue of Fortune contains the magazine’s annual ranking of the most admired companies, and this year’s list shows Target ranked 22nd. Only Walmart (11) and Nordstrom (21) were ranked ahead of the company. Other notable retailers on the list who ranked lower than Target included Costco (29), Best Buy (36), eBay (45) and Lowe’s (49).

For a company so often on the leading edge of offering its shopper affordable fashions in the apparel and home categories, there is one area where Target has been slow to keep pace with the prevailing trend.

New York City -- J.Crew Group said Monday its $3 billion deal to be taken private by two investment firms is complete.

New York City -- Spain’s The Inditex Group of Spain will pay $400 million for a flagship Zara retail store at 666 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, who cited people familiar with the matter, the transaction is one of the largest retail condominium deals ever. Zara bought out a 32,000-sq.-ft. lease from former occupant NBA store, which had less than three years remaining, according to the report.