eCommerce

SEATTLE  -- Retail industry online sales ascended to new heights during the past holiday season and as Amazon.com’s fourth quarter results show it was a key driver of the growth.

The company’s fourth quarter sales increased 36% to nearly $13 billion and its full year sales increased 40% to $34.2 billion. North America fueled the increase with sales that were up in the U.S. and Canada by 45% to $7.21 billion. Profits grew at a slower pace with fourth quarter net income up 8% to $416 million and full year profits up 28% to $1.15 billion.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Less than three months after joining Walmart’s merchandising organization as an executive VP, Duncan Mac Naughton on Friday was elevated to the role of chief merchandising officer for the U.S. stores division.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Holdings announced today retail veteran Chris Capuano will join the company as senior VP and president -- Home Fashions. She will be responsible for the oversight, leadership and growth of the in-store and online merchandising of home fashions in both the Sears and Kmart formats.

Capuano most recently served as  executive VP GMM – Home and Footwear at Kohl's.

NEW YORK — At a press event in New York on Wednesday, Pacific World and Walmart officially took the wraps off a new eco-friendly beauty line for tweens, aptly named GeoGirl.

The line, which has a suggested retail price between $3.98 and $5.98, is launching exclusively at about 1,250 Walmart stores and on Walmart.com beginning in March. The 69-SKU collection includes makeup for face, lips, cheeks and eyes, as well as skin and body care. A GeoGirl website is slated to launch Feb. 24.

New York City -- Walmart Canada, a unit of Wal-Mart Stores, announced that it plans to open 40 additional supercenters in its upcoming fiscal year (which runs from Feb.1, 2011 to January 31, 2012). The company is investing approximately $500 million in the project, which also includes expanding, remodeling and relocating existing stores.

Although Walmart Canada did not disclose exact locations, it did reveal that it will enter two new new markets this year: the provinces of Quebec and Manitoba.

Brentwood, Tenn. -- Tractor Supply Co. reported that net sales for the fourth quarter increased 19.7% to $1.03 billion from $862.5 million in the prior year's fourth quarter. Same-store sales increased 13.1%, compared with a 0.7% increase in the prior-year period. 

Net income for the quarter was $50.2 million, or 67 cents per diluted share, compared with $37.3 million, or 51 cents per diluted share, in the prior year's fourth quarter. 

Honolulu, Hawaii -- Colliers Monroe Friedlander, an affiliate of Colliers International, said that BlackSand Capital, LLC, a Hawaii-based real estate investment firm, acquired Pearlridge Uptown II from Inspiration International, LLC.

Cleveland -- Forest City Commercial Management announced the appointment of Kym Espinosa as marketing director for Promenade Temecula, a regional lifestyle center in Temecula, Calif.

Espinosa, who has more than 20 years of experience in the shopping center industry, is responsible for marketing program strategy and implementation for the 1.1 million-sq.-ft. retail center.

Voorhees, N.J. -- Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT) said that Coffee Works Cafe has opened its second location on Town Center Boulevard of its Voorhees Town Center property.

More is on the horizon for Voorhees Town Center, as the municipal offices of Voorhees, N.J., will relocate to the second level of the mall in spring 2011. Also in 2011, first-to-market Firecreek Restaurant + Bar and Doghouse Gourmet Burgers are slated to join Voorhees Town Center’s Town Center Boulevard.

With the large amount of excess store space available for lease in 2010, more retailers used pop-up stores this past holiday season than ever before.  This concept is now transforming into a viable strategy that has a life beyond the holiday season rush. In 2011 innovative retailers will employ it as a year-round approach that complements their core business strategy.