Sales & Marketing

Anaheim, Calif. – Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. reported a $469,000 net loss in the third quarter of fiscal 2014, compared to net earnings of $17.7 million the same period the prior year. The loss, which included a charge stemming from a $60 million term loan with Golden Gate Capital, was smaller than expected by Wall Street and driven by one-time charges.   Net sales were $212.3 million, up 4.4% from $202.8 million.    Same-store sales rose 4%.   

CROSSMARK, a leading provider of marketing and merchandising services, has appointed Steve Schuckenbrock as CEO.

CROSSMARK’s current CEO, Ben Fischer, will become the company's chairman and will play an integral role in the leadership transition. These leadership changes are effective immediately.

Schuckenbrock has more than 30 years of executive leadership experience at such high-performing, global companies such as Dell, EDS, PepsiCo, Frito-Lay and IBM. He also has deep knowledge in the areas of customer satisfaction/retention and innovation.

  San Francisco – Although email is at the point it’s often considered a “legacy” technology, a slight majority of consumers still prefer it for holiday communication from retailers. According to a new consumer survey from Salesforce, 53% of respondents said that email is their preferred communication channel during the holidays.  

An increase in selling, general & administrative (SG&A) expenses helped increase net loss at New York & Company Inc. to $9.7 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2014, up from $3.4 million a year earlier.

Net sales declined 3% to $210.6 million from $217.3 million, and same-store sales dropped 3.4%. New York & Co. cited soft performance in its wear-to-work category and the impact of product delays resulting from West Coast port labor issues as negatively impacting sales.

Bentonville, Ark. - Sam’s Club is introducing a new free Sam’s Club Travel mobile application designed to offer Sam’s Club members savings on hotels, rental cars, vacation homes, and other travel activities. Sam’s Club is the first mass market retailer to offer members a mobile app exclusively dedicated to leisure and business travel needs.   

Walgreens named former Sam’s Club head merchant Linda Filler to the role of president of retail products and chief merchandising officer.

The hire is a positive development for Walgreens given Filler’s diverse background and accomplishments in a consumer packaged goods industry where many are more likely to recognize her by the maiden named Linda Hefner.

NEW YORK - Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart plans to open a coffee shop in New York.  

A spokeswoman for Martha Stewart confirmed Wednesday that plans are in place for the company to open a New York coffee shop. She declined to offer more details, such as when it will open.  

The shop will be located in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, the Associated Press reported, in the same building where Stewart’s company— Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc.—is based holds the company's headquarters.

By Ken Morris, Boston Retail Partners

What a difference a year makes! We have seen a dramatic increase in the use of social media by merchandisers over the past year, as retailers look for innovative ways to enhance their merchandising decisions to deliver the products consumers want across a seamless shopping experience.