eCommerce

Each year, since the “big recession,” retailers have been putting out their holiday decorations and starting their promotional sales as early as mid-October. It used to be that Black Friday was the kick-off that got everyone out to the stores in search of that must-have discounted gift for their loved ones. This year, however, the calendar barely hit September and I saw Christmas trees on display at my local Costco and retailers announcing their layaway program incentives.

The nation’s leading sporting goods retailer has introduced a ranking system that shows football fans how sales of their favorite player’s jersey stacks up against the competition.

It is a clever strategy and feeds into NFL fans fantasy league obsession for statistics and provides Dick’s a lever to heighten shopper engagement and drive sales of big ticket, high margin apparel items that typically retail for upwards of $100.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. -- The Wet Seal said that two independent proxy advisors, Institutional Shareholder Services and Egan-Jones Proxy Services, recommended that the chain’s shareholders reject efforts by Clinton Group to replace six members of the company’s board of directors.  

Deloitte is forecasting holiday sales will increase between 3.5% and 4% as the economy's health and the presidential election take center stage among consumers this fall.

Despite some distractions this year, retailers should expect a modest increase in 2012 holiday sales, according to Deloitte’s annual holiday forecast release Tuesday morning.

By Sean Jackson, [email protected]

In recent weeks, there have been some well-publicised examples of retail giants whose financial performance has been severely impacted by breakdowns in the supply chain. As salt in the wound to these behemoths of retail, there are just as many examples of organizations that have exceeded market expectations due to an ability to behave nimbly and respond quickly to changes in consumer demand.

New York -- A U.S. judge in San Francisco has certified a class-action lawsuit against Costco Wholesale Corp. that involved allegations of gender discrimination in the store's promotion practices.

“Costco offers numerous competing explanations for the observed gender disparity in promotions,” U.S. District Judge Edward Chen said in the ruling, Bloomberg reported. “None of these explanations undermine the companywide nature of the challenged policies and their disparate effects.”

Washington, D.C. -- Survey results released Tuesday by the National Retail Federation found that 71.5% of Americans will celebrate Halloween this year, up from 68.6% last year and the most in NRF’s 10-year survey history.

The consumer spending survey conducted by BIGinsight also found the average person will spend $79.82 on decorations, costumes and candy, up from $72.31 last year, with total Halloween spending expected to reach $8.0 billion.
 

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples Inc. announced Tuesday a strategic plan to shore up sales and profitability that will involve accelerating the closure of 15 U.S. stores and 45 stores in Europe.

The office supplies retailer also said it will ramp up investment in its online and mobile efforts.

The announcement comes after a soft second quarter in which profit and traffic dipped downward.