eCommerce

San Francisco -- In a development that will take it into the growing global luxury market, Gap Inc. announced Thursday it has acquired women’s apparel retailer Intermix Holdco for approximately $130 million in cash. The transaction was completed Dec. 31.

Tervis, the company best known for its virtually unbreakable, insulated tumblers, has launched a new store design that reflects its updated image. The brand, whose products can be personalized to any interest or occasion, underwent a major rebranding in 2011 and is now translating the image to brick-and-mortar stores.  

Online holiday season sales grew 14% to $42.3 billion, a little short of comScore’s pre-season forecast.

The online measurement firm originally projected that online sales during the November and December period would increase 16% to $43.4 billion. However, after a strong start online sales fizzled a bit in early December and never quite regained enough momentum to achieve the firm’s earlier target.

An annual holiday e-retail satisfaction report produced by analytic's firm ForeSee showed a slight deterioration in Walmart’s satisfaction score during the holidays.

Amazon.com, LLBean.com and QVC.com were the top three retailers on ForeSee’s Annual Holiday E-Retail Satisfaction survey while Walmart.com fell in the middle of the pack.

At a time of year when much of the retail news we hear focuses on receipts and holiday sales performance, I can’t help thinking that the notion of value has become synonymous with price — and only price. You can make the argument that price has nearly hijacked the whole definition of value. Why is that, exactly? Should retailers be paying closer and more systematic attention to how they articulate (and how customers perceive) the value of their brand?

Cincinnati -- Macy’s on Thursday announced what it described as “normal-course adjustments” to its portfolio of Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores that include shuttering six locations (all in early spring 2013) and opening nine others.

BRISBANE, Calif. — Steve Birkhold was named CEO at Bebe on the same day that the company reported a worse than expected second quarter loss and a 10.5% comp decline.

Birkhold, who previously served as president and CEO at Lacoste, will be tasked with leading a turnaround at the struggling specialty retailer.

SAN FRANCISCO — Gap has added one more brand to its existing portfolio, purchasing Intermix Holdco for approximately $130 million in cash.

Intermix is a New York-based multi-brand specialty retailer of luxury and contemporary women’s apparel and accessories. It operates 32 boutiques across North America, along with an e-commerce site, offering a mix of luxury brands, including up-and-coming designers. Gap intends to expand Intermix’s network of stores, as well as add significant visibility and enhancements to its online site.