eCommerce

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - Sears Holdings' SVP procurement and finance has been promoted.

Deidra Cheeks Merriwether now holds the title of SVP and president retail services, succeeding James Haworth. In this role, Merriwether, who joined the corporation in 2001, will be responsible for the oversight and leadership of retail services for the broadline retailer's Kmart and Sears stores.

Merriwether currently serves as a member of Sears Canada's board of directors and is the executive sponsor of the company's African-American Associate Network.

NOVATO, Calif. - Sears Holdings has launched a new online movie download service, Alphaline Entertainment (http://alphaline.roxionow.com), which enables Sears and Kmart customers to download entertainment online, including new movies on the same day they are released on DVD and Blu-ray disc. The service is being provided through Sonic Solutions RoxioNow platform.

New York City -- Macy’s said Tuesday that it plans to expand its website offerings and would add about 725 new positions over the next two years to implement the e-commerce expansion plan.

Baltimore -- Planning, architecture, graphics and design firm Development Design Group said Monday it has been awarded the position of planner and design architect for the retail centerpiece of the landmark Tianjin City Culture Center Development, soon to become the largest mall in China.

Lexington, Mass. -- QVC provided the best online experience for its mobile website and Dell provided the best experience for its desktop site, according to Gomez, the web performance division of Compuware Corp. The company completed its seasonal report card of mobile shopping and websites by announcing the Top 5 retailers with the highest performance satisfaction index scores.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - Sears Holdings announced today that apparel veteran Lana Cain Krauter will join the company as SVP and president Sears apparel. She will be responsible for the oversight, leadership and growth of Sears' apparel business, both in-store and online.

New York City -- A report released Tuesday by the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs Group said that U.S. retail sales are up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis.

Same-store sales at a selection of U.S. retailers rose 0.4% from the week ended Jan. 1 from the prior week, the groups also said.

New York City -- Private equity firm Irving Place Capital announced Tuesday that it acquired value-oriented women’s apparel and accessory retailer Dots. Terms of the transaction, which closed on Jan. 3, were not disclosed.