Omnichannel

Target is back to its old marketing tricks in New York City this holiday season with a16,000-square foot omnichannel "spectacle” opening Dec. 9 next to Chelsea Market.

According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the holiday pop-up store "is filled with 10 holiday-themed displays that incorporate a digital element on top of an interactive physical experience. Each one is tied in to a popular holiday toy that Target is selling at the space."

Custom-built LED displays enhance the atmosphere at Irish fast-fashion retailer Primark’s first U.S. store, at Downtown Crossing in Boston.

The displays are integrated into high visibility locations throughout the store, blending into the environment and highlighting key features of the Primark brand. The displays are designed to attract shoppers, present current trends and provide store information in a hip, stylized fashion.

Target Corp. has opened a 16,000-sq.-ft. space in New York that is part store and part holiday playground — and a testing ground for merging physical and digital retailing.

Designer Shoe Warehouse Inc. (DSW) is more closely connecting its digital and store channels, and using a little outside help to make it happen.

DSW has implemented eBay Enterprise in-store pickup and ship-to store in 467 stores. These new omnichannel fulfillment technologies augment the specialty footwear chain’s existing ship-from-store and dropship capabilities, also powered by eBay Enterprise.

Specialty gourmet gift retailer Harry & David wants to make sure information about its stores is as easily accessible as possible.

Harry & David, is leveraging the SIM Partners Velocity local marketing automation platform to manage its local search marketing efforts. With Velocity, Harry & David will be able to manage and distribute its store location data. Thus the retailer will be able to ensure that information about its retail stores is accurate and visible in local and mobile search results.

The Children’s Place blamed unseasonably warm weather for its weak third quarter results and plans to close 200 stores by 2017 as part of its turnaround strategy.

For the third quarter ended Oct. 31, the retailer said same store sales fell 3%. The Children’s Place reported a profit of $38.5 million, or $1.88 a share, compared with a profit of $36.9 million, or $1.70 a share, in the prior year quarter. EPS was $1.93, up from $1.82. Sales rose 6.4% to $455.9 million.

Ace Hardware Corp. is making sure that stores contain products local shoppers want, and plenty of them.

Ace is implementing JDA space and category management solutions, including floor planning, category knowledge base, Web publisher, and assortment optimization. This mix of solutions, which will complement an existing JDA footprint that includes space planning, warehouse replenishment, and demand and fulfillment applications, will ensure that the potential of scarce inventory and space assets is maximized.

Many mall retailers have been having a tough time lately attracting shoppers, and Christopher & Banks was not immune to struggles with weak traffic in the third quarter.

The women's specialty retailer posted a net loss of $0.3 million, or 1 cent per share, for the third quarter ended Oct. 31, versus a year-ago profit of $9 million, or 24 cents per share. Net sales totaled $103.6 million, as compared to $110.6 million for the prior year. Same-store sales decreased 6.5%.