Sales & Marketing

On Thursday, Google introduced Android Pay, which will power in-app and tap-to-pay purchases on mobile devices. Here are some comments from Pat Dermody, president of Retale, a location-based mobile platform connecting shoppers with their favorite local retailers, on the new feature:

Hot home furnishings retailer Wayfair has outgrown its chief technology officer, who also happens to be one of the company's co-founders.

So the retailer has hired Jeremy Delinsky to be the company’s new chief technology officer.

Delinsky joins Wayfair with more than a decade of leadership experience, formerly serving as CTO and, most recently, chief product officer (CPO) at athenahealth. Delinsky will report directly to Steve Conine, Wayfair’s co-founder and co-chairman. 

Richmond, Va. - InvenTrust Properties Corp. has acquired Westpark Shopping Center, a 176,935-sq.-ft., 95% leased shopping center located in Glen Allen, Virginia, for $33.75 million.  
 

Rapidly growing western wear retailer Boot Barn Holdings Inc. showed no signs of slowing down in the fourth quarter.

The Irvine, Calif.-based western apparel and footwear retailer posted a 16% increase in revenue to $103.3 million for the quarter that ended March 28. Same-store sales, which include e-commerce sales, increased 7.3%. The retailer opened 18 new locations for a total of 169 in 26 states. It was the 22nd consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth.

Charlotte, N.C. – Investments in higher margins and topline growth helped boost net income at Belk Inc. 13% to $21.8 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2015 from $19.3 million in the same period a year earlier. Net sales were $985 million, up 3% from $955.1 million.

Same-store sales rose 3.3%. The strongest merchandise categories were men’s and women’s apparel, especially activewear, across all areas. The company’s online sales increased 37%, positively affecting same-store sales by 2.1%.

Kohl’s is backing up its commitment to families by sponsoring a museum promotion called Thank You Thursday in Milwaukee.

The retailer will be offering free general admission to the Museum Public Museum on the first Thursday of every month. Kohl’s Thank You Thursday marks the first time ever free general admission has been regularly provided to the public and will kick off on June 4.

Seattle – Amazon.com reportedly plans to launch a line of private label grocery products. According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon will add items such as milk, cereal, baby food and household cleaners to its Elements private label brand.

Currently, Amazon Prime members can purchase Elements baby wipes, and the retailer previously sold Elements diapers, as well. Amazon has recently applied for trademark protection for about two dozen Elements-branded products including coffee, soup, pasta, water, vitamins, dog food and razors.

Outdoor specialty retailer Gander Mountain remains on a path for national expansion with its recently opened store in El Paso giving the operator of 160 units its westernmost presence.

Most of St. Paul, Minn.-based Gander Mountain’s stores are concentrated in the upper Midwest and Mid-Atlantic state, but recent years have seen a steady incursion into new markets in the south and West. Prior to the opening of the 61,000-sq.-ft. El Paso location on May 26, Gander Mountain’s westernmost market was Denver where it operates two stores.