eCommerce

New York -- iPic-Gold Class Entertainment has announced that it will develop a mixed-use entertainment, office and retail project in Delray Beach, Fla.

Expected to open in 2015, the project includes a 529-seat eight-screen theater. iPic said the project would create more than 400 jobs and attract more than 400,000 visitors annually to downtown Delray Beach. The company currently operates nine theaters with 67 screens in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. -- The Wet Seal Inc. swung to a profit in the second quarter, reporting net income of $1 million, compared to a net loss of $12.4 million a year earlier. The retailer also announced it is introducing its Wet Seal Plus Collection, previously available only online, to 36 stores, on Aug. 30.

In addition, net sales totaled $137.2 million, up about 1% from $135.3 million in the second quarter of 2012. Same store sales grew 3.7%, while e-commerce sales remained flat. Overall results were in line with Zack’s consensus estimates.

Urbi et Orbi (The City and The World): The phrase is not just the theme of an annual speech from the Pope, but also summarizes what’s taking place in retail across North America: urbanization and globalization.  

At a time of year when consumers are still caught up in end-of-summer barbecues and back-to-school shopping, retailers are getting caught up in the rush of holiday planning. Holiday sales can account for 20% to 40% of a retailer’s total annual sales, according to the National Retail Federation, and a successful holiday can turn around a bad year or make a good year even better.

But the holiday season presents challenges as well as opportunities.

Millennials and boomers are driving an urban push

Generations after people deserted cities for the suburbs, young millennial-generation adults and older baby-boomer adults are moving back downtown.

Retailers aren't far behind, and new, seemingly instant neighborhoods — complete with housing, retail, offices and other forms of real estate — are springing up in redevelopment areas of cities across the country.

New York -- American Dream Meadowlands, the much-delayed shopping and entertainment complex adjacent to Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., is close to signing several major retail tenants, according to Crain’s New York.

The complex, originally called Xanadu, was started in 2004, and never completed. It has gone through several changes in ownerships, eventually falling into default. In July, it was acquired by Canadian developer Triple Five Group.

Whatever happened to the customer? It’s a question I’ve been asking myself more and more lately, and one that more than a few national brands should be working harder to answer. At a time when retail is evolving in exciting ways, one of the most disappointing trends over the last several years is a conspicuous (and costly) lack of focus on the customer.

Columbus, Ohio -- DSW Inc. improved upon its results from the second quarter of fiscal 2012 in the second quarter of this fiscal year, reporting increases in net income, sales and same-store sales. The company had net income of $33.7 million, including net after-tax losses and charges, a 15% boost from reported net income of $29.3 million a year earlier.

In addition, net sales rose 9.7% to  $562 million. Same-store sales increased 4.4%.