Mass Merchant

Just in time for the holiday season, Amazon is going brick-and-mortar with its first-ever physical store, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The store, which will be located across from the Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan, will serve as a mini-warehouse, with limited inventory for same-day delivery within New York City, product returns and exchanges and pickups of online orders, according to the report.
 

Walmart is set to announce its 2015 growth priorities next week and in a clear sign of an accelerating Neighborhood Market rollout, the retailer has created a new organizational structure made up of seasoned operators and accomplished merchants.

Morrisville. N.C. – Same-store sales soared at Amazon.com and EBay during September 2014. According to e-commerce technology provider ChannelAdvisor, Amazon's September same-store sales growth came in at 37.9%, a decrease compared to August's 45.1%.  

Even with a decrease from August to September, 37.9% is more than twice the growth rate of e-commerce.

Wayne, N.J. – Toys “R” Us has appointed Michael Melzer as managing director, Central Europe, responsible for the company’s operations throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland, including 91 stores and four e-commerce sites.

Melzer previously served as managing director of Staples in Germany, overseeing both its retail stores and online business. Before that, he spent five years with the department store chain Karstadt, first as director, corporate development and later as managing director of its e-commerce business.

Hauppauge, N.Y. - Premier Store Fixtures, a provider of interior fixtures for the retail industry, has appointed Richard Winter as CEO and a member of the board of directors. Winter has more than 25 years of senior executive experience in the store fixtures industry, including serving as the sector president of The Marmon Group’s retail services division.

Toys“R”Us has appointed Michael Melzer as managing director, Central Europe. He will be responsible for the company’s business operations throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland, including 91 stores and four e-commerce sites, as well as the approximately 2,200 employees in these countries, and report to Wolfgang Link, president, Europe.

New York -- One-quarter (25%) of U.S. consumers plans to spend more on holiday shopping this year up from 20% in 2013, and spending on holiday gifts is expected to average $718, according to Accenture’s annual holiday shopping survey.

The survey also found consumer enthusiasm for Black Friday shopping has reached its highest level in eight years. Two-thirds of respondents (66%) said they are likely to shop on Black Friday, compared to 55% who planned to do so in 2013.

New York -- Amazon plans to open its first-ever physical store, across from the Empire State Building in mid-town Manhattan, the Wall Street Journal reported. It's been rumored for years that the online giant was looking to open brick-and-mortar locations.