Sales & Marketing

Welcome to the Web Rue21. The operator of nearly 1,000 stores nationwide has joined the ranks of virtually every other retailer and now sells products via the Internet.

The specialty apparel retailer focused on teens and young adults on Friday announced the launch of their online shopping site Rue21.com.

Washington, D.C. – The National Retail Federation calculated retail industry job gains at 37,600 in October 2013, and 295,000 year-over-year, a 2.4% increase from 2012. Job gains were seen in every retail sector with the exception of clothing and clothing stores, which witnessed a contraction of 12,500 positions in September.

In its annual holiday sales and employment forecast, NRF predicted that retailers would see a 3.9% increase in sales and hire an additional 720,000 to 780,000 employees this holiday season.

Record downloads of its app and North American revenue growth have Groupon feeling good about mobile initiatives and its ongoing evolution from a provider of daily deals via email to a full bore e-commerce marketplace.

Charlotte, N.C. -- Belk stores will open at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. From 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 28 through 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29, stores will offer more than 350 early bird specials while quantities last The promotion will feature hundreds of special deals in every department.

The first 250 customers at each store at the 8 p.m. opening on Thanksgiving will receive a free Belk gift card with a value ranging from $5 to $1,000, and with a guaranteed $1,000 gift card winner in each of the company's 301 stores.

Looking to tap into the loyalty of NASCAR fans, Sherwin-Williams has deepened an existing relationship with the racing organization to become the official automotive paint of NASCAR.

Sherwin-Williams is already the official paint of NASCAR and the automotive designation takes effect January 1.

Fort Worth, Texas -- RadioShack will open its newest Houston location as a concept store on Nov. 9. All concept stores in the company's portfolio feature an upgraded shopping experience, which showcases the company's new look, and incorporates interactive areas designed to help shoppers improve their technology profile.

Some features include:

Ashburn, Va. — One Loudoun Downtown, a joint venture of Miller and Smith and North America Sekisui House, has announced the opening of a 23,800-sq.-ft. The Fresh Market.

One Loudoun is a 358-acre master planned community in Loudoun County, Va., that includes 1,040 homes, 702,000 sq. ft. of retail, a luxury hotel and three million sq. ft. of office space.

The Fresh Market currently operates 144 stores in 26 states.

Santa may need to send his suit to the dry cleaners next week after Belk gets a jump on Christmas by hosting an event called Santafest on Saturday, November 16.

The Charlotte, N.C.-based department store chain operates 301 stores in 16 southern states, more than half of which are located in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. It can be quite warm and humid in the Southeast well into November with hurricane season not officially ending until November 30.