eCommerce

ANN ARBOR, Mich.  — Though 79 is just one point shy of what ForeSee considers a superior score on its annual top 100 online retailers for customer satisfaction list, Target should still be concerned as it was three points behind rival Walmart, and three points does make a difference.

With the lowest score on the list being 69 and the highest being 89, achieved by Amazon.com, most retailers on the list had a score in the 70s, while 36 on the list earned the distinction of scoring 80 or higher. The scores are based on a 100-point scale.

Reston, Va. -- Online U.S. retail spending reached $44.3 billion in first quarter 2012, up 17% versus a year ago, according to comScore’s Q1 2012 Retail survey. It was the tenth consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth and sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth.

In other findings, 38% of tablet owners have made a purchase on their devices within the past month. Apparel was the most popular category for purchase among tablet shoppers.

Union, N.J. -- Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. said that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Cost Plus in an all cash transaction. The deal is valued at some $495 million, according to Reuters.

Based in Oakland, Calif., Cost Plus currently operates 259 stores under the names World Market, Cost Plus World Market, Cost Plus Imports, and World Market Stores in 30 states.

SAN FRANCISCO — Gap Inc.'s online shop, Piperlime, will make its retail store debut this fall, at 121 Wooster St. in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City.

The new 4,000 sq. ft. Piperlime store will offer a similar curated assortment as online, the company said. Styled as a boutique, the store will feature the best range of coveted, iconic brands like Milly, Frye and Citizens of Humanity as well as little known finds including Tinley Road, Ash and Maison Scotch.

New York -- British lifestyle brand Superdry USA on May 9 debuted its largest North American retail destination to date, a two-story, 14,000-sq-ft. store in New York City's Times Square. It is the brand’s third Big Apple location.

WAYNE, N.J. — Babies“R”Us is offering customers a new way to support military moms-to-be through a partnership with Operation Shower, an organization that hosts baby showers for military wives to ease the stress of their husbands’ deployment. The retailer has launched Babiesrus.com/OperationShower, which will serve as an online information portal, where visitors can learn how they can support this charitable program and ensure that military moms-to-be, who are often far away from friends and family, receive basic essentials for their newborns.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — Charges related to store closures in the United States caused OfficeMax's first quarter net income to drop from $4.9 million, or 6 cents per diluted share, compared with $11.4 million, or 12 cents per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2011. Adjusting for these charges, net income for the quarter was $20.3 million, or 23 cents per diluted share, compared with $11.4 million, or 13 cents per diluted share for the same period last year.

North Bergen, N.J. -- Vitamin Shoppe reported Tuesday that net income for the quarter ended March 31 rose to $18.3 million, from $11.6 million in the same period last year.

Sales surged 14.4% to $248.1 million, boosted by a strong 9.6% rise in same-store sales. E-commerce sales rose 15.5% in the quarter.

The vitamin retailer said it plans to open 52 new stores in fiscal 2012.