Retail

Office Depot and Best Buy are intense competitors in many categories, but that didn’t stop the former from recognizing the latter’s sustainable purchasing practices.

Office Depot recently held its Eighth Annual Leadership in Greener Purchasing Awards ceremony in Denver alongside the International Facilities Management Association (IFMA) World Workplace Conference & Expo.

Holiday shoppers have high expectations of their online customer experience this year.

According to the new JDA 2015 Consumer Survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers, 50% 0f respondents indicate that they will be unforgiving of retailers who provide less than satisfactory online home delivery experiences.

Bass Pro Shops is exploring a bid for rival outdoors retailer Cabela's according to an exclusive report from Reuters. The news service says Bass Pro is working with an investment bank on the potential offer. Cabela's has recently begun to explore its options and has also reached out to private equity firms to solicit interest, Reuters says. [Reuters]

Store performance disappointed almost across the board during October, and circumstances beyond retailers’ control may have had a lot to do with it.

Over the past 15 years or so, fast-fashion has evolved from a trend to a phenomenon to an industry standard, one that has largely redefined the U.S. apparel retailing landscape.

From home-grown Forever 21 to Swedish import H&M, the market is awash in stores offering cheap, on-trend clothes at low prices. Most recently another import entered the mix, Primark, which opened its first U.S. store in September, in Boston, the first of eight announced locations.

Amazon.com just picked up an improved rival in the burgeoning home shopping button market, which it provided mainstream attention with the launch of its Dash remote ordering device earlier this year.

San Jose-based technology vendor Hiku just launched version 2 of its eponymous shopping button tool. Ironically, Hiku actually released version 1 of the button shortly before Amazon launched its Dash button, but was overshadowed.

Another larger-than-life retail showcase is coming to the Big Apple.

Victoria’s Secret plans to open a 64,000-sq.-ft. store on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 51st Street. The space was formerly occupied by Forever 21, which moved out after just seven months of operation.

“It’s a very big deal from a brand standpoint,” Stuart Burgdoefer, CFO, L Brands, parent of Victoria’s Secret, said at the company’s annual investor conference.

Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th will open a store at Newcity, the newly opened mixed-use development located in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood.

The 40,000-sq.-ft. store, which will be the seventh Off 5th location in Chicago, is scheduled to open in May 2016. The off-price retailer recently announced another spring 2016 store opening in Chicago, on State Street at the corner of State and Madison.