eCommerce

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings announced that David Lukes has joined the company in its real estate business unit as president real estate development. Lukes comes to Sears Holdings from Mall Properties Inc. where he served as president and CEO of the privately owned $3 billion real estate firm. 

New York -- Retail executives are invited to attend the Microsoft Retail Roadshow, which will be held in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas, on Thursday, March 22. The half-day event will explore ways that retailers can increase operational efficiency, lower costs and innovate to drive customer engagement.

The event, which will include continental breakfast, lunch, demos and a partner showcase, will be held at Microsoft, 7000 State Highway 161 (George Bush Turnpike), Building LC1, Irving, Texas, 75039.

Seattle -- Starbucks Corp. opened its first-ever juice bar under its newest banner, Evolution Fresh. The shop, which also features wraps, soups, salads and vegetarian items, is located in Bellevue, Wash.

Starbucks purchased the Evolution Fresh juice brand in November for $30 million. The coffee giant plans to roll out Evolution Fresh juices to its coffee shops later this year.

Seattle -- Online diamond and fine jewelry retailer Blue Nile announced the appointment of Harvey Kanter as CEO and president, effective March 30. Kanter will also be appointed to Blue Nile's board of directors, effective March 30.

Prior to joining Blue Nile, Kanter served as president and chief executive of Moosejaw Mountaineering and Backcountry Travel, a multichannel retailer of premium outdoor apparel and gear. Before Moosejaw, he served as executive VP and managing director of Michaels Stores.

By Tim Callan, timcallan.blogspot.com

With store closures and falling revenue threatening major retail chains, maximizing store productivity is more important than ever before. While it’s been proven for many years that website analytics can drive dramatic improvement in online retail environments, so far most brick-and-mortar retailers are engaged in only rudimentary measurement.

Toronto -- Sears Financial has launched an online points redemption system for its five million plus card members, making it one of the first major retail loyalty programs in Canada to do so.

Seattle -- Amazon.com on Monday announced it has agreed to buy 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.

NEW YORK — During the 2011 holiday season, the top retail applications and websites combined — including Amazon, Best Buy, eBay, Target and Walmart — reached nearly 60% of smartphone owners, according to Nielsen.

“The majority of smartphone owners used their devices for shopping this past holiday season,” said John Burbank, president of strategic initiatives at Nielsen. “Mobile shopping has reached scale and is only going to grow as smartphone penetration continues to rise.”