eCommerce

Armonk, N.Y. -- Consumers are looking for a more personalized shopping experience, and are willing to share select details about themselves with their favorite retailers to help educate brands on exactly how, when and where to approach them, according to the third annual consumer survey by IBM.

Salisbury, N.C. -- Bottom Dollar Food announced grand opening dates for its first 14 stores in the greater Pittsburgh and Youngstown, Ohio, markets, with its first seven stores opening on Jan. 26. Seven additional stores will open on Feb. 9.

Beaumont, Texas -- Conn’s announced that it plans to close five underperforming stores during January 2012.

“The closing of the five stores this month is a continuation of our previously communicated plan to evaluate our existing store base and close or relocate underperforming stores. Additionally, we are progressing on our plans to open five to seven new stores in fiscal 2013, in areas with compelling demographic characteristics that we believe are favorable to our business model,” commented Theodore Wright, the company’s CEO.

New York City -- Target Corp. is mulling a  new pricing strategy amid increased competition from online and brick-and-mortar rivals, according to reports by the Associated Press and Dow Jones.

The reports said that Target  has sent a letter to some of its key vendors as part of a potential new strategy to bolster its competiveness. The news comes just days before J.C. Penney is scheduled to announce a major overhaul in which pricing is likely to play a key role.

New York City -- Athleta, the Yoga-inspired lifestyle athletic apparel brand for women owned by Gap Inc., plans to open stores in Chicago, Boston, Houston and Denver in 2012, according to Bloomberg.

In the report, Scott Key, senior VP and general manager, reiterated the company’s plan to open more than 50 Athleta stores by the end of 2013.

DALLAS — JCPenney Co. will host a two-part launch event where senior management will outline its much-anticipated plan of transformation on the mornings of Jan. 25 and Jan. 26 in New York City.

New York City -- Starbucks Corp. is closing in on its retail deal with India’s Tata Coffee Ltd., which makes and exports instant coffee and plantation coffee, Reuters reported.

Tata Coffee plans to open a Starbucks coffee shop by the end of this year, the report said.

DAVENPORT, Iowa — Von Maur Department Store has announced the promotion of Joy Place to VP merchandising, effective immediately. She will report directly to Melody Westendorf, chief operating officer of Von Maur.