Sales & Marketing

It’s no secret Amazon.com counts Google and Apple as two of its biggest competitors for general online domination. According to Motley Fool, Amazon is expanding a specific benefit of its Prime paid loyalty service intended to both boost membership and stay current with Google and Apple’s consumer offerings. [Motley Fool]

New York -- Douglas Elliman's Retail Group has arranged a lease for LF Stores at 1258 Third Avenue, New York, New York. Located between 72nd and 73rd Streets, the space offers 30 feet of frontage on one of Manhattan's premier avenues for ladies' fashion and fine dining. The Los Angeles-based brand has 30 stores nationwide, including five in the New York Metropolitan area, including one in Soho, and is designed to appeal to teens and young adults.

Only one retailer has averaged online deliveries in one day so far this holiday season.

According to a Kurt Salmon study of online orders from 62 retailers across a broad range of categories, including brick-and-mortar and online-only retailers, Zappos kicked delivery into a higher gear than any other analyzed retailer with an average of delivery in one day.

Hip eyewear retailer Warby Parker continues to put down roots in Nashville.

Last year, the company opened a local corporate office in the city (its first outside of its New York City home base) and, more recently, opened a store at Nashville’s Edgehille Village. The storefront is open and provides full visibility into the interior. It is designed as an inviting outdoor space with native plants and landscaping.

The CEO of 99 Cents Only pointed to the promise of a new executive team as evidence that the company can return to profitable growth even as it reported disappointing third quarter results.

The company said for the period ended Oct. 30, the company's net sales increased 2.8% to $491.5 million, compared to $478.3 million in the prior year. Same-store sales decreased 3.9% due to challenges in produce and consumables sales, the cannibalization impact of recent new store openings as well as ongoing initiatives to clear excess seasonal inventory, the company said.

GameStop’s Technology Brands division has reached another milestone toward its goal of generating $1.5 billion in revenue by 2019.

The retailer announced it has opened its 1,000th technology brand store. The company now boasts the title of largest video game retailer in the world, as well as the largest AT&T authorized retailer and largest Apple-authorized specialist in the United States.

Boston -- Gordon Brothers Group and Hilco Merchant Resources announced that the companies will be managing the stores closing process, which has begun, for Los Angeles-based, Kitson, at all 17 locations throughout California, Oregon, and Nevada. Sales are offering discounts of up to 50% on all of the fashion apparel, gifts and novelty merchandise. Store fixtures, furniture and equipment will also be available for sale.

Before you declare your personalized marketing efforts a success, check with your customers.

That is the overriding message from a global study of 1,200 consumers and 200 marketing professionals conducted in October 2015 by Forrester Consulting for hybris. The study, “The Contextual Marketing Imperative,” finds that while 66% of marketers rate their efforts at personalization as “very good” or “excellent,” just 31% of consumers report companies are consistently delivering personalized, cross-channel experiences