Sales & Marketing

Apple is going really big in Manhattan.   The retailer is expanding its flagship at the General Motors building on Fifth Avenue from its current 32,000-sq.-ft. to over 77,000 sq. ft. The Apple space is renowned for the glass cube located on the street level.    While the store is undergoing the expansion, Apple has temporarily moved into a space in the building that was formerly occupied by FAO Schwarz.     

Gap Inc. reported higher than expected sales for January and the fourth quarter, fueled by strong increases at Old Navy.    The retailer reported that net sales for the four-week period ended January 28, 2017 increased 2% to $828 million.    Total same-store sales for the month rose 1%, led by a 3% gain in the namesake brand and a 2% increase at Old Navy. The ailing Banana Republic continued to slump, with a 4% decrease.   

To tap growing global demand among shoppers in Australia and New Zealand, Alibaba opened its new international office in Melbourne.   On Saturday, Feb. 4, the e-commerce giant opened its new headquarters as a means of extending its reach — and product availability — to shoppers across the two countries, Reuters reported.   

This summer, Mall of America will buy into the escape fantasy craze with the addition of The Escape Game, an hour-long experience that the Nashville-based provider of the technology says presents sophisticated content designed to challenge even the most ardent gamers.   In the group experience, players can choose adventures that include a Mars mission, a covert mission to intervene with terrorists, a prison break, and a museum heist. The 3,300-sq.-ft. space will be located on level 3 of the huge mall in Bloomington, Minnesota, near Sears.

While it missed some analysts’ aggressive $44.7 billion quarterly revenue estimate, Amazon continues to record solid growth. Fourth-quarter sales were up 22% year over year to $43.7 billion. The retailer also maintained profitability throughout 2016, indicating that the flywheel continues to accelerate, especially in North America.   

Mass promotions don’t cater to customer demand — or drive sales.   By adding a new platform that streamlines the entire promotional planning process, Toys “R” Us Canada is leaving behind vague promotions in favor of more targeted communications based on shopping behavior, store traffic, inventory and customer service.  

H&M is saying yes to what is being described as a “data dress.”   The fast-fashion retailer is teaming up with Google to create and sell frocks based on customer-specific data tracked by an Android app, reported The Verge.   

Ivanka Trump-branded items will soon be a thing of the past at Nordstrom.