eCommerce

STAMFORD, Conn. — Pitney Bowes is helping high-end leathergoods retailer Dooney & Bourke extend its reach in the global online market.

Dooney & Bourke will use Pitney Bowes’s e-commerce software and international shipping services to offer international buyers the ability to receive a guaranteed, fully-landed cost quote that includes importation fees during the online checkout process. Displaying fully-landed costs upfront helps ensure there are no surprises for buyers with additional fees at the time of delivery.

Los Angeles -- Multiple reports on Tuesday said that British billionaire and Topshop owner Sir Philip Green is negotiating with Leonard Green & Partners to sell a 25% stake in the TopShop and Topman chains.

The two brands, which would be broken off from Philip Green’s other Arcadia Group retail holdings, are valued at $1.61 billion. An announcement is expected as early as Thursday.

Neither Philip Green nor Leonard Green has commented directly on the impending transaction.

Fort Worth, Texas -- Trademark Property Group announced that together with Coventry Real Estate Advisors, Southern Land Co. and PCCP, it has recapitalized the Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm mixed-use project near Dallas in a joint-venture arrangement.
 
The Joint Venture acquired the note on the property from a multi-bank syndicate led by PNC Bank. PCCP provided the capital for the transaction from its opportunistic fund, PCCP Equity VI, L.P.

San Francisco -- The Gymboree Corp. reported Wednesday that net income for the quarter ended Oct. 27 fell 22.6% to $46.9 million from $60.6 million in the year-ago period.

Sales edged up 2.8% to $311.5 million, but same-store sales dipped 4% in the quarter.

During fiscal 2012, the company said it maintains its plans to open approximately 124 new stores, including 98 Crazy 8 stores.

NEW YORK — If you thought Starbucks was everywhere already, wait a few years, as the company has announced plans to open 3,000 more stores in the Americas alone in the next five years.

Senior executives at the company outlined details of its growth agenda across its global retail, emerging brands and CPG channels at its biennial investor conference this week.

London -- Tesco CEO Philip Clarke announced Wednesday that the British supermarket retailer will likely sell or close its entire U.S. presence, which means that 199 Fresh & Easy stores could be shuttered or sold off.

According to multiple reports, Tesco is close to making the decision after five unprofitable years in the U.S. The retailer launched the concept in 2007, confident there was a niche for a grocery store with fresh food offerings formatted in a unique footprint that was smaller than a typical supermarket but larger than a c-store.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target has teamed up with Bruno Mars to deliver an exclusive edition of the pop star’s sophomore album, “Unorthodox Jukebox.”

The album will be available at Target stores and online beginning Tuesday, December 11, and will feature five bonus tracks. Pre-orders are available now at Target.com/ExclusiveArtists.

New York -- Although consumers are defecting in growing numbers, the majority say they could have been retained, according to survey results released Wednesday by Accenture.

According to the Accenture Global Consumer Survey, in 2012 one-in-five consumers switched companies they buy from -- including retailers, wireless phone and Internet service -- marking a 5% increase in switching over 2011 levels. However, the survey also found that 85% of consumers say the companies could have done something differently to prevent them from switching.