Mass Merchant

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penney nabbed a key executive from Home Depot and also one from Target Corp. as it seeks to maximize the power, reach and integration of its omnichannel efforts.
 
The department store retailer named Michael Amend, former VP of online, mobile and omnichannel for Home Depot, to the position of executive VP of omnichannel effective immediately. He fills a position previously held by Mike Rodgers who left the company.

Fast-fashion giant H&M is adding another set of initials to its aggressive expansion plans. 

Bentonville, Ark. -- It’s the dog days of summer and that can only mean one thing: consumers are thinking back to school.

On the heels of Amazon's Prime Day promotion, Walmart.com is kicking off hundreds of special buys timed to a historical spike in traffic when customers start the bulk of their back-to-school shopping.

According to Walmart, traffic to Walmart.com doubles in the four days from July 31 to Aug. 3 as customers turn their attention from the pool back to school. So Walmart is kicking off Back to Class Cyber Days online and on its mobile app, featuring 30% more Rollbacks and hundreds of exclusive discounts.

New York -- The Association for Retail Environments is bullish on the future.

The organization is predicting good days ahead for the U.S. economy in general and retail construction in particular. According to A.R.E.’s economic advisors, all indicators show that the 2016 economy in the U.S. will grow faster than it did in 2015. And while economic growth will slow in the back half of 2015, it will not be negative.

New York -- The big spenders are at Costco.

People spent 149% more at Costco than at other retailers, according to mobile-location firm Placed, which linked store spending to tracked locations. Best Buy BJs, Sam's Club and Ikea also ranked high, Advertising Age reported.

Palm Coast, Fla. -- A transformation is underway. Branch Properties is in the midst of a $40.8 million redevelopment of the largest (and oldest) retail shopping center in Palm Coast, Florida.

Island Walk, once called Palm Harbor Shopping Center, is a 204,000-sq.-ft. center anchored by Publix Super Markets. Once completed in 2016, the upgraded retail destination will bring new and expanded tenants and amenities to the Palm Coast community in an effort to revitalize the city’s original core.  

As more retailers embrace the reverse trajectory of opening an online store first and a physical store second, the beauty industry is leading the way.

E-commerce has been the fastest-growing retail channel in the U.S. beauty market, with a compound annual growth rate of 24% since 2009, the Kline Group reported on Tuesday. And more of these online retailers are opening physical stores.