Sales & Marketing

Omaha, Neb. – The retail e-commerce landscape just got a little wider. Discount department store retailer Gordmans Inc. is jumping from operating 101 brick-and-mortar stores in 22 states to offering an e-commerce site for consumers across the country.

The online store also offers an extended assortment beyond what's available in-store. This includes broader sizes and styles in the dedicated Levi's shop, MLB, NCAA and NFL sports team apparel and an expanded selection of holiday décor.

Palo Alto, Calif. – In science fiction and horror films, the arrival of pods is rarely a good development. But omnichannel consumers will likely be pleased by the arrival of the first Curbside Pickup Pod at the Glendale Galleria mall (a GGP property) in Southern California.

Framingham, Mass. – The TJX Companies Inc. showed value to its investors in a strong second quarter of fiscal 2016 where it beat Wall street expectations for both profit and sales. The elimination of a debt extinguishment loss and lower interest expenses helped push net income up 6% to $549.33 million, from $517.62 million the same period the prior fiscal year.

New York – Amazon.com provides a customer value proposition of convenience and the lowest prices. According to new analysis from managed analytics provider Ugam, competitors at least have a chance to beat Amazon on prices of some items.

Ugam conducted assortment intelligence analysis of two key sporting goods categories, identifying gaps in Amazon’s merchandising assortment and confirming that the retail giant doesn’t always have the lowest price on the most sought-after products.
 

Specialty retailer Francesca's is losing its head merchant.

CMO Sei Jin Alt is resigning to spend more time with her family and pursue other interests, the company said. The company has initiated a search for a new Chief Merchandising Officer. To facilitate a smooth transition, Alt will remain in her current role until Nov. 20.

Winston-Salem, N.C. - Lowes Foods, a Carolinas-based grocer with locations in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, is feeding consumer appetite for omnichannel experiences. Lowes is working with omnichannel commerce solutions provider Unata to deliver enhanced omnichannel services at its 60 Lowes Foods-To-Go stores.

 In a shift to quality over quantity, Walmart has cut expansion plans for its Neighborhood Market stores despite the format’s consistently strong top line growth in recent years.

Los Angeles – American Apparel Inc., which warned shareholders of poor second quarter results last week, had more bad news this week. In addition to reporting growing net loss and shrinking net sales in a tough second quarter of fiscal 2015, American Apparel said it does not currently have enough cash to last the next 12 months and shareholders may lose some or all of their investment.