Retail

Life could be so much simpler for retailers and suppliers – and better for most consumers too – if federal lawmakers could find a way to grant the industry this one, not-so-simple, holiday wish.

At its annual Analyst Day in New York Wednesday morning, CVS Health raised the midpoint of its earnings outlook for 2016.

Pier 1 Imports says it is still confident in its omnichannel strategy despite a mostly flat third quarter in which the company struggled with the same soft store traffic impacting many other retailers.

For the third quarter ended Nov. 28, the specialty retailer said same store sales decreased 0.7%. Total sales decreased 2.5% (a 1.4% decrease on a constant currency basis) to $472.5 million, compared to $484.5 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2015. Net income $10.92 million, or 13 cents a share, vs. a profit of $17.86 million, or 20 cents a share, a year ago.

Charming Charlie opened its first location in the Philippines, at Bonifacio High Street Central Square.

The location showcases the brand’s newest retail store concept, and features signature double doors in vibrant pink lacquer and a residential-style interior that mixes feminine, mid-century accents with luxe materials and whimsical details.

In the Philippines, Charming Charlie is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, a member of SSI Group, Inc., which has further growth planned for the brand in Cebu and Manila next year.

Social commerce is evolving, which means the omnichannel world is changing, too. Even the mere definition of omnichannel is in flux as the lines between commerce and communication blur and new platforms proliferate.

It’s been a slow evolution, with many attempts to perfect social commerce resulting in failure. Will consumers ever have a world where commerce is one with their social experience? Right now the experience is a lot like being at a party, talking with friends, only to be interrupted by an uninvited guest trying to sell you fabric softener.

Seattle -- Madison Marquette announced that Din Tai Fung will open at Pacific Place located in downtown Seattle, in the summer of 2016. With only six U.S. restaurants, Din Tai Fung will be located in a 9,216 sq. ft. space on level four of the shopping center.

Din Tai Fung currently operates more than 100 locations worldwide with branches in Japan, the United States, South Korea, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand and most recently in Dubai.

Dylan’s Candy Bar has achieved double-digit revenue growth since deploying a new solution to replace multiple legacy on-premise systems, including a custom-built warehouse management system. Dylan's Candy Bar has deployed NetSuite to manage its mission-critical business processes, including financials, inventory and order management, warehousing and customer relationship management.

Allen, Texas -- Trademark Property, announced that jewelry designer Kendra Scott will open at Watters Creek at Montgomery Farms, the 800,000-sq.-ft. mixed-use center in Allen, Texas. The 2,054 sq. ft. boutique, which will be located near White House | Black Market and Anthropologie, is slated to open in spring 2016.