Sales & Marketing

New research from global marketer Epsilon sheds fresh insight on how to influence shoppers on an increasingly convoluted path to purchase.

The firm surveyed 2,800 consumers for its “The Digital Shopping Tool Impact Study 2015” which examined how people are shopping, what’s guiding their purchasing decisions and what tools they are using before, during and after purchase. The research revealed a noticeable shift towards mobile and social digital tools that is changing the very nature of the shopping process.

West Chester, Pa. – QVC has appointed Sanjay Singh as senior VP to lead its newly formed business planning & analysis (BP&A) group. Singh will be responsible for developing financial insights and driving integrated global business and financial planning across markets and functions.

Seattle – July is often a slow-paced month for consumers, but Amazon.com is seeking to change that. In an effort to promote its Amazon Prime paid loyalty program, the retailer is encouraging customers to celebrate “Prime Day,” a one-day global shopping event on July 15 that is says will have more deals than Black Friday.

Los Angeles -- American Apparel on Monday announced it would close some stores as part of a $30 million cost-cutting initiative in its strategic turnaround plan. (American Apparel CEO Paula Schneider discussed the plan with CSA in a recent interview.) The embattled company also made two other revealing disclosures.

Marbles: The Brain Store has chosen one of the country's smartest cities for its next brick-and-mortar location.

The company plans to open a new store in the Washington, D.C., area at National Harbor, the waterfront shopping and entertainment district on the Potomac River.

The new location is the third Marbles store to open this summer. Marbles also launched in Times Square in New York City and Myrtle Beach, S.C., marking its first location in the southern region.

New York -- Swedish fast-fashion giant H&M isn’t letting the strong U.S. dollar hurt its expansion plans.

The chain plans to open about 400 new stores in 2015-2016. It is expanding into five new markets: Taiwan, Peru, Macau, South Africa and India. Other plans include the launch of H&M Beauty this July, starting in about 900 stores and online. The company also hinted at the development of a mysterious new brand.

U.S. grocery shopping habits appear to be changing as consumers increasingly seek out the convenience of online ordering when it comes to food, according to a new study.

Katy, Texas – Academy Sports + Outdoors is hitting a landmark in its store count.

The sporting goods chain will open its 200th store in Tupelo, Mississippi on July 3.

The Tupelo store will be approximately 63,000-sq.-ft. and will bring 100 new jobs to the area. This will be the first location in Tupelo and the fifth store in Mississippi.