eCommerce

Greensboro, N.C. -- High-end grocer The Fresh Market is making a stand in California, as it prepares to open its first three stores in the state.

According to a Tuesday report by Investor’s Business Daily, Fresh Market has signed leases and begun construction on one store in Santa Barbara, one in Palo Alto and a third in Roseville. The grocer said it expects to open its first store in the state either late this year or early 2013.

A soon-to-open Cabela’s store in Rogers, Ark., will test the viability of a large format store in a small market.

The opening of the 100,000-sq.-ft. Cabela’s store is slated for Thursday, August 30 and was strategically timed to kick off the Labor Day weekend. A ribbon cutting planned for 8:45 will be followed by appearances from outdoor personalities and celebrities, family events and merchandise giveaways.

New York -- U.K. retailing giant Tesco PLC could give up its American supermarket venture, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, if the chain continues to disappoint and not make a profit, RetailWeek and other British news organizations reported.

In remarks at the company’s annual meeting on Friday, Tesco CEO Philip Clarke said: “If we see there is no chance of success, we’ll do as we’ve just done in Japan,” referring to Tesco’s deal this month to exit that market.

New York -- Disney Store was honored as Innovator of the Year at the 2012 Oracle Retail Excellence Awards. The awards were announced at the annual Oracle Retail CrossTalk event, held June 26-28, at Swissôtel, Chicago.

Other Oracle award recipients included Urban Outfitters, in the category of “Outstanding Achievement in Customer Experience,” and Abercrombie & Fitch, in the category of “Outstanding Achievement in Business Performance.”

Denver -- When consumers search for online coupons and savings, 62% search for store-centric deals, 24% for product-specific coupons, and only 14% search specifically for brand name product discounts online, according to the first Buy-havior Report, from coupon-search engine ShopAtHome.com. The report tracks consumer search habits on the site.

Of the 62% of consumers looking for store-centric savings, Wal-Mart was the most-searched for retailer followed by Kohl’s and Target, respectively.

The past few months have seen a flurry of store openings in New York City. Here’s a rundown on some of this summer’s hottest new must-sees as chosen by my go-to expert on Big Apple retail happenings Faith Hope Consolo,  chairman of the retail division at Prudential Douglas Elliman:

Denver -- When consumers search for online coupons and savings, 62% search for store-centric deals, 24% for product-specific coupons, and only 14% search specifically for brand name product discounts online, according to the first Buy-havior Report, from coupon-search engine ShopAtHome.com. The report tracks consumer search habits on the site.

Of the 62% of consumers looking for store-centric savings, Wal-Mart was the most-searched for retailer followed by Kohl’s and Target, respectively.

Union, N.J. -- Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. announced that its tender offer for the outstanding shares of common stock of Cost Plus was successful.

The company said Friday that about 20.8 million shares representing about 92% of Cost Plus' outstanding stock were tendered. The company currently has approximately 22.5 million outstanding shares, according to FactSet.

Cost Plus will become a Bed Bath & Beyond subsidiary and will stop trading on the Nasdaq the first business day after the deal closes.