eCommerce

Philadelphia -- A Wednesday report by Reuters said that discounter Five Below is said to be considering an initial public offering. 

The report, citing unnamed sources, said that the Advent International- and LLR Partners-owned chain has hired underwriters and is in discussions with bankers.

Five Below is in a growth mode and could potentially command a market valuation of over $1 billion.

Plymouth Meeting, Pa. -- Fameco Real Estate announced that Sports Clips has signed its sixth lease in the Philadelphia region as part of an aggressive store roll out campaign.

Sports Clips is focusing its efforts on the Philadelphia MSA and Fameco’s Jim Creed is spearheading the expansion in this market which includes southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware.

Morrisville, N.C. -- Columbus, Ohio-based Casto announced that construction will commence on the next phases of the mixed-use lifestyle center, Park West Village, located in Morrisville, N.C.

Another 200,000 sq. ft. of retail space launches construction this month, according to Shannon Dixon, VP development, leasing and asset management for Casto’s Southeast operations.

Joining the next phase of Park West Village is a 55,000-sq.-ft. state-of-the-art 14-screen cinema, operated by Stone Theatres, formerly Consolidated Theatres.

WABAN, Mass. — There most be something to that REDcard Rewards program. Target this week was among the companies with the most loyal customers, according to a new study by Temkin Group. The report, "2012 Temkin Loyalty Ratings," rated the loyalty that consumers have to 206 large companies across 18 industries.

Target with a rating of 59%, ranked No. 8 on the list. Sam's Club earned the top spot with a loyalty rating of 65%.

Whiting, Ind. -- Survey results released Wednesday by CouponCabin.com found that 41% of U.S. adults who purchase apparel say that they only buy clothing when it’s on sale.

Nearly one-quarter (23%) of U.S. adults said their shopping strategy involves doing whatever they can to save money.

The Spring Shopping Survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive, contained the following highlights:

New York City -- Tiffany reported Tuesday that its fourth-quarter profit slipped to $178.4 million from $181.2 million last year. Revenue met expectations, rising nearly 8% to $1.19 billion.

For the year, net earnings surged 19% to $439 million, and sales rose 18% to $3.6 billion.

The jewelry retailer said it plans to open 24 new stores in 2012, including nine in the Americas, seven in Asia-Pacific, three in Europe and five in the United Arab Emirates. It plans nine new stores in 2013.

SEATTLE — Amazon's fulfillment services just got a boost, thanks to an agreement that will have the company buying Kiva Systems Inc. for $775 million in cash. Kiva is a manufacturer of automation technology for fulfillment centers, and is best known for its mobile- robotic technology and sophisticated control software. Kiva's retail customers include The Gap, Staples, Saks 5th Avenue, Office Depot, Crate and Barrel and Walgreens.

It doesn’t really surprise me anymore when I hear about another national brand rolling out a smaller store format or compact new prototype. Recognizable names like Target, Walmart and Best Buy have all had some success with smaller formats, particularly when it comes to penetrating new markets. But I think the fact that Kohl’s has now joined the crowd is a little bit different — and a little bit more interesting.