eCommerce

New York -- Starbucks Coffee Company on Friday offered an online coupon though Groupon Inc., Bloomberg reported. It is the first time the chain has had a Groupon offering.

For $5, customers received a printable gift card to use in Starbucks’ stores for $10, according to the report.  

New York -- Barnes & Noble announced on Friday that it would give away a free Nook Simple Touch e-reader, which retails for $79, to any customer who buys its high-definition Nook HD+ tablet between March 24 and March 31.

The offer is available at all Barnes & Noble stores, Barnes & Noble College Bookstores and online. It also is being offered through other retailers that sell Nook products, including Walmart.com, Target and Best Buy.
 

New York -- Tiffany & Co.’s fourth-quarter net income inched up 0.7%, but its results still topped analysts’ predictions as strong demand in Asia helped to offset domestic weakness. The company also offered an annual sales outlook that topped analysts' estimates, citing its strong prospects in most Asian markets.
    
For the quarter ended Jan. 31, Tiffany earned $179.6 million, compared with $178.4 million in the year-ago period. Revenue increased 4% to $1.24 billion.
     

Bossier City, La. -- Covington, La.-based Stirling Properties said that it has been retained to provide comprehensive property and construction management and office leasing services for Louisiana Boardwalk, a 562,250-sq.-ft. retail/mixed-use development on the waterfront of Bossier City, La.

Garrison Investment Group of New York City recently acquired Louisiana Boardwalk and will re-launch the retail center as The Outlets at Louisiana Boardwalk.

Toronto -- Canadian Tire has opened a digital development lab in Communitech, a start-up incubator that is home to some 100 startups and small businesses along with such “strategics” partner companies as Google Inc. and Intel Corp.
 
Communitech supports tech companies at all stages of their growth and development in the commercialization of innovative technologies.

New York -- In another sign that British retail giant Tesco is reconsidering its U.S. Fresh & Easy division, the company sent an email sent to shoppers in which it acknowledged that the grocer doesn't know "if Tesco will continue to own the company," the Los Angeles Times reported.
 
Fresh & Easy spokesman Brendan Wonnacott said that Tesco is still reviewing its American chain, and will make an update in April as part of the company's full-year results, the report said.

Warrendale, Pa. -- Teen fashion retailer Rue21 opened its 900th store on March 21, in the Southern Hills Shopping Center of West Plains, Missouri. The company also reported that its fourth quarter income increased 16% on strong sales.

The recent announcement that retail giant Walmart plans to open more than 100 of the brand’s Neighborhood Market stores in 2013, and as many as 500 Neighborhood Market locations over the next few years, has industry analysts and observers talking. They have my attention, as well.