Retail

If there was a single theme at the recently concluded ICSC Deal Making Conference in New York City, it was “possibilities.” New projects, new ideas, new trends and a sense of optimism were on display.

Target merges physical and digital retailing in its holiday pop-up, Target Wonderland, in Manhattan.

Restoration Hardware Holdings’ (RH) innovative store growth initiatives are starting to bear fruit, as the luxury home furnishings retailer reported record sales and profits in the third quarter.

For the period ended Oct. 31, the company reported net income of $20.7 million, or 49 cents per share, compared to $19.4 million for the same period last year.

Revenue increased 10% to $532.4 million, from $484.7 million in the year-ago period. It was the firm's 23rd consecutive quarter of double-digit revenue growth. Same-store sales increased 7%.

So far this holiday season, consumers are turning to their desktop PCs for shopping more than ever before.

According to new data from comScore, through the first 36 days of the November-December 2015 holiday season (Nov. 1 – Dec. 6), desktop spend totaled $35.36 billion. This marks a 6% increase from $33.38 billion for the equivalent period in 2014. Although rate of year-over-year growth is below the 9% previously predicted by comScore, the total figure still sets a new record.

BJ's Wholesale Club has promoted its COO to president and chief executive officer just months after recruiting him from Hess Retail Corp.

The club retailer announced that Christopher J. Baldwin, BJ's president and chief operating officer, has been named president and CEO, succeeding Laura J. Sen, who is assuming the role of non-executive chairman. The appointment is effective Feb. 1.

The demise of physical stores has become a familiar narrative during the holiday season, but nothing could be further from the truth according to one man better positioned than most to know.

Walmart confirmed that its CMO, Stephen Quinn, who had held executive marketing positions with the chain for 10 years, will retire in January.

Michael Francis, Target Corp.'s former marketing guru, has been hired as a consultant. Francis spent 26 years at Target and most recently served as global brand officer for DreamWorks Animation. In August, he announced that he planned to step down from Dreamworks.

RH's innovative growth initiatives are starting to bear fruit, as the home furnishings retailer reported record sales and profits in the third quarter.