Sales & Marketing

Early and optimistic are two words that sum up retailers’ attitudes toward the 2015 holiday season, according to new retailer survey conducted by ChannelAdvisor.

ChannelAdvisor surveyed more than 200 e-commerce decision-makers at U.S. and U.K retailers to gain insight into holiday promotional activities and the outlook for sales. One key finding is that retailers are an optimistic lot with 80% expecting sales to be higher this year that last year.

New York -- Barnes & Noble on Wednesday reported its fifth straight quarter of sales declines. But the CEO sounded a positive note, telling the Wall Street Journal that the retailer is looking at a new store prototype.

“The industry is evolving, and we think there are opportunities ahead with a different format,” CEO Ronald Boire told the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. “I’ve sat in on a couple of meetings about this and we’ll have more to discuss later.”

Anaheim, Calif. – Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. is launching a major expense reduction initiative in the wake of disappointing second quarter results.

Shoppers who are out of pet food won't have to go very far for a refill, if PetSmart's new partnership with Google has any say about it.

The retailer announced it has teamed with Google Express to provide overnight service in Chicagoland and a five-state Midwest region (120-mile radius from Chicago) in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio serving 25 million people.

Fremont, Calif. – The Men’s Wearhouse Inc. likes the way its second quarter earnings look — even if its Jos. A. Bank unit continues to struggle.

Net earnings almost quadrupled to $47.8 million from $12.3 million, beating Wall Street estimates.

Austin, Texas – Whole Foods Market is sharing the love with its consumers, across channels.

From Sept. 9 to Nov. 3, the Whole Foods Love Fest will offer special deals and events including surprises on its local and national social media channels.

Other features will include weekly $500 giveaways in stores, weekly product offers, and customized events and giveaways.

Issaquah, Wash. – Costco Wholesale Corp. is finally getting its online photo center partially up and running following a July 2015 data breach at the third-party hosting provider.

Returning users will have to create a new password before re-entering the site.

All photo center products except the mobile app, framed prints and mail order products are once again fully available. Costco expects to have the mobile app and mail order option available by the end of September, and framed prints available by mid-October.

Two months after opening its first All American Sports Center, Dick’s Sporting Goods is extending the concept to two new markets in Ohio.