eCommerce

NEW YORK — Despite low consumer confidence, the volatile economy and a hurricane, many retailers reported better-than-expected sales in August. Hurricane Irene appeared to put a dent in the results of some retailers on the East Coast, but the storm did not appear to do as serious damage as some expected.

Total retail sales rose 4.4%, just missing the 4.6% rise that Wall Street analysts had expected, according to Thomson Reuters. Of the 19 out of the 25 retailers that Thomson Reuters tracks, 11 beat expectations.

Purchase, N.Y. -- The apparel, e-commerce, grocery, and luxury segments all showed continued growth in August, as the hardware, restaurant, and automotive repair sectors returned to positive territory, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, a macroeconomic report tracking national retail and services sales.

Boston -- High-end wedding dress maker and retailer Priscilla of Boston said Wednesday it will close at the end of the year. Its 19 store locations were shuttered on Wednesday, and its brands, which include Jewel by Priscilla of Boston and Platinum For Priscilla of Boston, also will be discontinued.

"After nearly 65 years of serving some of America's most beautiful brides, we have made the difficult decision to close our salons after a thorough review of the business environment," the company said in a statement.

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Office Depot announced that it is now expanding its retail store presence in the Caribbean territory as part of its franchise agreement with Benmore International.

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot is expanding into the Caribbean as part of its franchise agreement with Benmore International. The company has opened a store in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It plans to open three additional locations in the Dominican Republic in 2012.

In addition to its operations in various Central American countries and Puerto Rico, Office Depot plans to further expand its business throughout the Caribbean.

New York City -- Lord & Taylor will unveil a new concept called Lord & Taylor Home on Friday, at Fashion Center shopping center in Paramus, N.J.  A second location, in Shrewsbury, N.J., is expected to open in several weeks. Lord & Taylor is owned by NRDC Equity Partners, which also owns Canada’s Hudson Bay Co.

When we think of our neighbors to the north in Canada, there are plenty of iconic symbols and traditions that come to mind: hockey, moose and the Mounties to name a few. When it comes to retail real estate in Canada, something else that could be considered “iconic” would be the fact that many regional malls there often have supermarkets as their major anchor.

The increases in average transaction size and customer traffic that Target credited with driving its 4.1% same-store sales increase during August is unwelcome news for Walmart. This is especially true since the biggest gains continue to come in categories where Walmart is traditionally strongest and is intent on demonstrating price leadership.