Sales & Marketing

Boston -- Gordon Brothers Group, a global advisory, restructuring and investment firm specializing in the retail, consumer products, industrial and real estate sectors, announced the appointment of Ian Levine as managing director, head of business development, and Blair Nelson as managing director, corporate development, to Gordon Brothers Group’s management team.

Nearly 300% more retailers plan to use mobile POS in the next two years, according to a special report by Boston Retail Partners (BRP).

The study, “Mobile Technology – Transforming the Customer Experience,” forecasts that the use of mobile technology for other customer-facing activities in retail will also dramatically grow in the next two years. For example, approximately 200% more retailers plan to use geolocation within three years. And 350% more retailers plan to support NFC payments by October 2015.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. – The Wet Seal Inc. wants customers to have a social online shopping experience. Wet Seal will utilize 3 Tier Logic's Platform3 consumer-to-consumer content marketing and data mining platform to increase the quantity and duration of website visits and the conversion of those visits to generate more e-commerce transactions.

Ann Inc. may be in talks with at least two potential buyers, according to a report this month from Bloomberg.

The $1.6 billion owner of the Ann Taylor and Loft women’s clothing stores said in an October regulatory filing it planned to review strategic options and that it is working with JPMorgan Chase & Co.

New York -- On Thursday, in a move that could shape the minimum wage debate, Walmart announced it was raising the minimum wage of its employees to $10 per house, which is significantly higher than the Federal minimum wage. The news has met with a mixed reaction.  

Here's a sampling:
 
CNBC reports that Wall Street gives Walmart a big thumbs down for the news.

Fort Worth, Texas – RadioShack Corp. has received bankruptcy court approval to sell more than 1,100 stores it plans to close by the end of this month. According to Reuters, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Brendan Shannon in Wilmington, Delaware, has officially approved the closing and auctioning of the stores.

Omnichannel commerce is exposing organizations as "legacy channel impaired." Customers don’t talk about and don’t care about channels. Customers care about engagement, information, value, product and service. Channels are a frame we’ve used to organize around and operate in an increasingly disruptive environment. What started as a fear of cannibalization has evolved into an opportunity for augmentation, as digital and physical convergence accelerates across categories and formats.

Cedar Hill, Texas -- Trademark Property Co., the operating partner for Uptown Village at Cedar Hill, has announced a multi-million dollar renovation of the 610,000-sq.-ft. shopping center in Cedar Hill, Texas; the redo includes a re-brand, enhanced entrances, upgraded landscaping, common area improvements, a new children’s play area, new amenities for adults and children, and new signage throughout the property.

In addition, Trademark is working with several prospective junior anchors to add to the merchandising mix.