Sales & Marketing

dELiA*s is showing off its feminine side. The teen apparel retailer has debuted a new prototype at Providence Place Mall, in Providence, R.I. The 3,674-sq.-ft. store has a stylish, upbeat vibe that reflects its target audience.

Starbucks Coffee Company is participating in a pilot project designed to encourage employees to identify strategies that will reduce the amount of energy required to run the stores while not impacting customer service.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Just Born has introduced new Halloween-themed candies under its Peeps and Mike and Ike brands.

New Peeps snack size mini marshmallow chicks are 34 individually wrapped treats adorned in orange, green and purple. The new Mike and Ike Mummy's Mix limited-edition flavor mix, packaged in a 5-oz. theater box, includes lemon, orange, grape, lime and raspberry flavors. What's more, the new Mike and Ike variety bag features Mike and Ike original fruits, RedRageous! and Zours flavors, and is available in both 40-count and 63-count sizes.

Foothills Ranch, Calif. -- The Wet Seal Inc. said Thursday it has dropped its temporary shareholder rights plan, citing feedback from stakeholders, and has proposed to expand its board to include two nominees of activist investor Clinton Group.

In July, Clinton Group, which owns approximately 7% of Wet Seal, called for a sale of the retailer, expressing dissatisfaction with its performance, and made a play for four seats on the board. In response, the retailer adopted a temporary shareholder rights plan with a 10% trigger.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market has expanded its offering of baked goods and desserts. The retailer has introduced more than 60 new products including new varieties of bagels, scones, cookies, breads, pies, cupcakes, and pastries. The new products include several seasonal flavored, gluten free and organic options and like all fresh&easy brand products, contain no artificial colors or flavors, high-fructose corn syrup, or added trans fats, according to the company.

Loveland, Colo. -- Bass Pro Shops has signed a letter of intent with Loveland, Colo.-based shopping center developer McWhinney to anchor a new northern Colorado development at Centerra.

The approximately 117,000-sq.-ft. Bass Pro Shops is intended to draw shoppers from Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, and beyond.

“We are very excited to bring Bass Pro Shops to Loveland and be part of the Centerra development,” said Johnny Morris, founder and CEO, Bass Pro Shops.

Widespread media reports have Walmart discontinuing the sale of Amazon’s popular Kindle devices, which begs the questions what took so long and will we ever see a Walmart tablet.

Walmart’s decision to begin selling the Kindle was one of the more wrong-headed moves the company has ever made. A Kindle is Amazon’s version of a Gillette razor, essentially a device that provides consumers a portal to purchase Amazon’s other inventory, or in Gillette’s case, more blades. Target wisely gave Kindle the boot earlier this year.

By Kevin Kulinowski, Robert Grosskopf and Rick Edwards, Gordon Brothers Group

The defining paradox of our industry is that closing stores has become a trademark of successful retail companies. Certainly healthy retailers are opening new stores; but shuttering locations has become the norm as well and, in most instances, is equally indicative of positive growth.