eCommerce

By Jordan Socran, [email protected]

York, Pa. -- The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. said that it plans to close its Carson's store in the River Oaks Mall in Calumet City, Ill., when the lease expires in January. 

The department store company said doesn't expect costs tied to the closing to be material.

Bon Ton received the leasehold interests in the store as part of its Northern Department Store Group acquisition in 2006.
 

By Jim Hogan, [email protected]

The retail industry is a bellwether for U.S financial health given that consumer spending is roughly 60%-70% of the economy. While the economy has sent mixed signals of late -- consumer confidence down, unemployment up -- consumer credit has swung up decidedly and leading companies in a wide swath of retail segments can point to positive year-over-year same store sales. This is prompting some retailers -- particularly discount stores--to begin opening new stores.

New York -- Walgreens will launch a loyalty card on Sept. 16, Reuters reported.

The move follows the chain’s long insistence that it did not need a loyalty card, even as rival CVS Caremark Corp. and Rite Aid Corp had their own successful well-established programs. The CVS ExtraCare loyalty program claims more than 70 million households as members.

BALDWYN, Miss. — Hancock Fabrics reported that net sales for the second quarter increased 5% to $60.5 million from $57.8 million for second quarter of last year, and comparable-store sales improved by 5%.

Earnings per share increased by 3 cents, or $0.6 million with a net loss of $3.3 million, or 17 cents per basic share, in the second quarter of fiscal 2012 compared to a net loss of $3.9 million, or 20 cents per basic share in the second quarter of fiscal 2011.

Seattle -- Nordstrom Inc. will open its outlet format Nordstrom Rack at The Newbury in Boston’s Back Bay area.

The two-level, 38,000-sq.-ft. store is scheduled to open in spring 2013. It will replace the former Filene’s Basement space.

Currently, Nordstrom opens four full-line stores and four Nordstrom Racks in the Boston market.
 

Palo Alto, Calif. -- A survey released Thursday by Apigee found that three out of five – or 57% – of mobile app users would consider purchasing their holiday gifts this year on a mobile device.

The 2012 Holiday Shopping survey revealed that the top items that would potentially be purchased via mobile are books (32%), electronics (31%), gift cards (27%), DVDs/Blue-ray discs (26%), clothing (24%) and toys (20%).

Walmart saw its low price supremacy challenged this week by a Bloomberg report indicating Target had lower prices on a basket of 150 comparable items.