Sales & Marketing

Another high-profile retail attraction has opened at Disney Springs, Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida.   The Coca-Cola store is designed to offer customers an immersive brand experience. Modeled after a 1920s Coca-Cola bottling plant, the store celebrates the history of the brand, starting on the exterior where the glass-accented entry pays tribute to the iconic Coke green glass bottle.    

Gap Inc. unveiled preliminary results for the second quarter that were not very promising as Banana Republic continues to bleed.   The retailer said revenue and same-store sales slipped for the month of July, and for the second quarter, which ended July 30.   Gap’s net sales for the quarter were $3.85 billion, compared with $3.90 billion for the second quarter last year.  

VF Corporation announced the promotion of Jim Pisani to the position of global brand president, Timberland, effective immediately.   Pisani most recently served as president of VF’s licensed sports group.  

In 2013, when Plainsboro (New Jersey) Plaza lost its grocery anchor, prospects appeared bleak for the once-thriving center. A new town center concept erected across the street in this affluent locale bordering Princeton had siphoned off shoppers in a big way. According to a report in the Trenton Times, two-thirds of the Plaza emptied while Plainsboro Village Center was 96% leased.  

Hhgregg announced several key executive appointments. The news comes on the heels of the appointment of interim CEO Robert Riesbeck as permanent chief of the consumer electronics and appliance retailer.    The moves include the promotion of former VP of marketing and nine-year company veteran Chris Sutton to senior VP of marketing, with oversight for all marketing initiatives as well as Hhgregg’s growing e-commerce channel. Sutton previously worked in advertising and brand marketing for The Walt Disney Company.  

Coles Supermarkets, one of Australia’s largest supermarket retailers, is deploying a new solution to improve customer checkout experiences and operational efficiency.   The retailer is adding NCR’s RealPOS XR8 as its future POS terminals. Coles also plans to upgrade more than 4,000 POS units in the next financial year.  

Uniqlo is in the final stages of an extensive makeover of its first-ever store in New York City.      Located in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood, the 10-year-old, 36,000-sq.-ft. store is being redone to the theme of "a new Tokyo in Soho." Scheduled to unveil its new look on Sept. 2, the store was the chain’s first global flagship. Hiroshi Taki, Uniqlo U.S.A. CEO, described it as “an important milestone in the company's plans to expand internationally.”  

Just as Amazon transformed e-commerce through its convenience, assortment and ease of use, look for the pairing of Jet.com and Walmart to introduce additional completion in the online shopping space that will give more options to consumers. Both companies stand to gain exposure to more and different customers as well as benefits in terms of service, delivery, and technological enhancements.