eCommerce

Secaucus, N.J. -- The Children's Place Retail Stores reported Thursday a loss of $15.1 million, widened from a loss of $9.8 million in the same quarter last year.

Second quarter net sales increased 5% to $360.8 million, compared with $343.5 million in second quarter 2011. Same-store sales grew 3.4%.
 

CORTE MADERA, Calif. — Restoration Hardware has expanded its Big Style/small spaces collection.

“We call it a collection of epic proportions,” says Creator and Curator Gary Friedman of Restoration Hardware's Big Style/small spaces source book, which features a tongue-in-cheek cover of a climber scaling the nose of Abraham Lincoln on Mount Rushmore. Friedman continued, “And good design is all about proportions.”

Washington, D.C. -- According to the National Retail Federation and BIGinsight’s 2012 Back-to-School survey, families with school and college-aged students as of Aug. 7 say they have more than half of their shopping lists to complete.

The average person with children in grades K-12 has completed 40.1% of their shopping, while college shoppers and their families have completed slightly more at 45.3%.

Overall, school and college shoppers this year are expected to spend a total of $83.8 billion.

SEATTLE — Fashion retailer Nordstrom has launched a new iPad app to help customers browse and shop for their next looks.

Features of the app include:

• The Dressing Room: This feature offers customers an interactive way to create and save multiple looks by double-tapping or dragging items to the Dressing Room canvas.

 

New York -- Body Central announced Friday that Thomas W. Stoltz has been promoted to COO and named interim CEO.

Stoltz has served as the company's executive VP and CFO since September 2011 and replaces B. Allen Weinstein, the company's former CEO who retired effective Aug. 16.

Stoltz will also continue to serve as Body Central's CFO.

Minneapolis -- Best Buy Co. co-founder Richard Schulze said Thursday that he is staying the course on his plan to acquire the company and take it private, adding that he has heard from a lineup of private equity firms prepared to make "significant commitments."

In a letter to the Best Buy board, Schulze indicated that he'd like to create a group and put forth a fully financed plan.

Black & Decker has introduced the GYRO 4V MAX Lithium-ion Rechargeable Screwdriver (BDCS40G), a motion-activated screwdriver that controls variable speed and direction. The variable speed feature and direction change that occurs with a twist of the wrist provide improved control.

With the screwdriver’s gyroscopic technology, users only need to rotate their wrist one-quarter turn to the right for forward or left for reverse.

Columbus, Ohio -- Limited Brands reported Wednesday that net income in the second quarter dropped 38% to $143.6 million, from $231.2 million in the year-ago period.

The owner of Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works and La Senza saw revenue slip 2% in the quarter to $2.4 billion, meeting Wall Street expectations. Same-store sales grew 8%.

The company also raised its earnings guidance for the year, although it expects a weak third quarter.