Sales & Marketing

Toronto -- Canada’s Loblaw Companies Ltd. said it will pull its Joe Fresh brand from J.C. Penney stores in the United States at the beginning of next year as it looks to concentrate on freestanding Joe Fresh stores and e-commerce.  

Jins Eyewear, one of Japan’s largest eyewear brands, opened its first-ever U.S. store, in San Francisco's Union Square neighborhood. The 4,900-sq.-ft. space features more than 1,200 different styles of Jins' exclusive frames.  

Barnes & Noble is targeting train passengers by offering a curated collection of free eBooks and eMagazines to Amtrak customers.

During Amtrak Train Days, which runs from May 9 through November, Amtrak passengers with Nook e-readers will be able to access bestselling eBooks from HarperCollins, in addition to other classics and popular self-published titles from Nook Press that have been customized to appeal to every reading preference, including romance, mystery, thrillers, children’s and business titles.

Brisbane, Calif. -- Bebe Stores Inc. reported a loss of $11.2 million in its third quarter, citing port delays and prolonged cold weather that also created pressure on sales.

Net sales for the quarter, ended April 30, increased 4.1% to $92.7 million, as compared to $89.0 million in the year-ago period. Same-store sales increased 1.2%.

Cedar Hill, Texas - Trademark Property Co., the operating partner for Uptown Village at Cedar Hill, has announced a new name for the 610,000-sq.-ft. shopping center: Hillside Village. The new name and corresponding new brand were selected to reflect the garden-like look and feel planned as part of a multi-million dollar property renovation.  

San Francisco – Retail sales in several top retail verticals fell despite increased shopper traffic in April 2015. According to a report from Wi-Fi location analytics provider Euclid, early Easter did not cause a drop-off in visits to the store, but consumer caution around spending tax refunds prevented a commensurate sales boost.

Euclid estimates sales growth in the following retail verticals of:

• 1.1% decline year-over-year in general merchandise, apparel, furniture and other (GAFO) retail sales.

Orlando, Fla. – Customer needs and expectations are rapidly changing, and woe to the retailer who does not keep up. This was the key message delivered by participants in a panel discussion, “Engage Customers Through Omnichannel Opportunities,” at SAP’s annual Sapphire conference.

Steve Fournier, executive VP and chief customer officer of Discount Tire Co., said his company realizes it cannot afford to lag behind customer demand.

Gap Inc. is teaming up with popular TV host Ellen DeGeneres and her lifestyle brand ED on a unique fashion range that is designed to empower girls.

The new collection, GapKids x ED, will be an apparel collection and social movement designed to help all girls realize they have the power to do extraordinary things, the company says. The collection will be available for purchase starting Aug. 17 through Gap.com, in all GapKids stores in the United States, and select stores in Canada, United Kingdom, China and Japan.