Sales & Marketing

NEW YORK — Barnes & Noble announced that it has expanded BN.com Marketplace, adding over one million new products to the catalog. The company also announced new partnerships with Wayfair.com, Right Start, UnbeatableSale.com Inc., School Specialty Inc., Abe’s of Maine, Delivery Agent and more. By expanding its third-party marketplace, which already supports more than 10,000 retailers in the books and media categories, Barnes & Noble now offers customers a wider product selection in time for the holiday shopping season, the company reported.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — Strong results in consumable categories, a little inflation and some Hurricane Irene related sales fueled an 11.5% same-store sales increase and led to a strong overall third-quarter financial performance at Tractor Supply Company.

Redmond, Wash. -- PlayNetwork said Thursday it has completed the audio/visual installation at Uniqlo’s new global 89,000-sq.-ft. flagship store on Fifth Ave. in New York City, the retailer’s largest store to date.

The installation features more than 300 LCD video displays and 175 audio speakers, providing a full digital media experience. Custom LED video installations in the glass elevators and storefront windows and LED “tunnel ticker” displays were developed by PlayNetwork in conjunction with partner D3 LED.

No one said being an international retailer was easy, a lesson Walmart continues to learn the hard way on distant shores. This time the country in question is China, a market where despite having a long history and extensive operations, the company managed to run afoul of local officials who temporarily closed 13 stores because, according to media, reports, some pork products were incorrectly labeled as organic. Walmart has been in China for about 15 years and currently operates 349 stores, consisting of 245 Walmart stores and 104 units that are still branded as Trust-Mart.

Sam’s Club home office last week hosted 50 competitive barbecue teams who traveled to Northwest Arkansas for the final round of competition in the inaugural Sam’s Club National BBQ Tour. The event kicked off back in April when teams battled for a spot in the championship, which was sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society.

The winner of the event, TippyCanoe BBQ Crew of St. Ansgar, Iowa, received a cash prize of $35,000, while a total of $400,000 in prize money was awarded to teams throughout the course of the tour.

Dollar stores get a lot of the credit for negatively impacting Walmart’s U.S. sales the past few years and it’s no wonder. The big three – Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree – have grown rapidly and collectively operate more than 20,000 conveniently located units that offer sharp prices on an expanding assortment of food and consumables.

CHICAGO — As many as 71% of consumers earning less than $100,000 per year are planning to trim back their spending this holiday season, according to new research, “Holiday Shopping 2011,” released Tuesday by SymphonyIRI Group.

SONOMA, Calif. — Banana Republic and Clos Du Bois Winery announced that they have teamed up for a line of limited-edition wine bottles adorned with festive labels designed by Banana Republic creative director Simon Kneen. The wine bottles, available in Nort Coast Chardonnay and North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon varietals, are priced under $20 and will feature Kneen's hand-sketched labels.