eCommerce

Minneapolis -- Christopher & Banks Corp. announced Monday that it has named Larry Barenbaum as president and CEO, effective immediately.

Barenbaum has served as Interim CEO since October 19, 2010.

Minneapolis -- Best Buy Co.’s December same-store sales fell 4% as softness continued in its sales of televisions and entertainment software.

The retailer, which also reaffirmed its 2011 profit outlook, said on Friday that same-store sales in its domestic segment fell 5% and 0.1% internationally.

Overall sales in the month slipped 1.6% to $8.4 billion.

LAS VEGAS - Reporting from the Consumer Electronics Show, Best Buy said that revenue for the fiscal month of December ended Jan. 1, decreased 1.6% to $8.4 billion. The revenue decline for the five-week period, as compared with $8.5 billion in revenue for the five-week period ended Jan. 2, 2010, was due primarily to a comparable-store sales decline of 4% partially offset by the addition of new stores in the past 12 months and the favorable impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.

Philadelphia -- Teen value retailer Five Below said that the company is launching a major expansion into Chicago, with the signing of 12 store leases.

The new stores, which are planned to open in the spring, are the first of up to 20 new stores that will open in the Chicago market this year, according to the company.

Over the next three to five years, Five Below anticipates expanding its foothold in Chicagoland and increasing the number of stores in the region to as many as 60 locations.

Vernon Hills, Ill. -- Beachwood, Ohio-based Chase Properties announced that Hawthorn Hills Square in Vernon Hills, Ill., is being redeveloped to coincide with the opening of Dick's Sporting Goods (December 2010) and PetSmart and Five Below that are expected to open in the spring. Additionally, Noodles will be opening a new freestanding restaurant at the center in the fall.

New York City -- After coming off a strong November, retailers found their momentum waned in December, with many turning in mixed sales for the month. Industry experts said sales were impacted by a still-cautious consumer and the blizzard the crippled the Northeast in the days immediately following Christmas.

Thomson Reuters, which tracks same-store sales for a group of 28 national chains, said total sales for the group were expected to post a 3.4% increase in same-store sales for December, following a 5.6% bump in November.

New York City -- Barnes & Noble said on Thursday that its same-store sales rose 9.7% in the nine week holiday period ended on Jan. 1. It was the chain’s best comparable-store sales performance in more than a decade. Total sales for the period rose 8.2%.

The company said it significantly exceeded both online and in-store sales forecasts, led by strong consumer demand for Barnes & Noble's Nook brand of eReading products.

Rain and snow dealt the club channel a blow during December, as Costco was impacted by heavy rain in California and BJ’s felt the sting of blizzards in the Northeast. Sam’s was impacted too, but Costco and BJ’s have a higher concentration of stores in those areas so it is likely the effect was less.