Omnichannel

QUINCY, Mass. -- Stop & Shop announced that it has launched its first mobile application for iPhone and Android devices. 

SAN JOSE, Calif. & KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.  -- Ebay Inc. announced that it has agreed to acquire GSI Commerce, a leading provider of e-commerce and interactive marketing services, for $29.25 a share, or total consideration of approximately $2.4 billion. The acquisition, which will be financed with cash and debt, is expected to close in the third quarter of 2011.

NEW YORK — Royal Ahold’s Peapod online grocery service is expanding in New York, according to published reports.

According to the reports, the new service, Peapod by Stop & Shop, will fulfill orders using the existing warehouse presence of Ahold supermarket banner Stop & Shop, which operates several stores in the city. In addition to groceries, Peapod also offers numerous health and beauty products.

DULUTH, Ga. -- NCR Corp. announced that the current release (version 5) of its NCR SelfServ Checkout solution has won a Good Design Award for product design excellence in the electronics category.

Indianapolis -- The Finish Line said Thursday that its fourth-quarter profit rose 12% with strong same-store sales.

The company reported net income of $34.3 million in the quarter that ended Feb. 26, compared with $30.6 million a year earlier.

The Finish Line said that excluding a charge for writing down the value of stores.

Revenue rose 2.7% to $384.6 million. Same-store sales rose 4%.

The company said operating margins were 9% close to its goal of double-digit margins for the full year.

SALISBURY, N.C. -- Food Lion announced that one lucky MVP customer will win free groceries for a year.

Customers can scan their MVP cards once a day at the in-store coupon kiosks, and they will be entered for a chance to win free groceries. Customers also can instantly win one of more than 200,000 free national and private brand items starting today through April 19. Free items will be awarded in the form of a coupon on the customer's MVP Savings Center coupon sheet which must be redeemed on the day it is issued.

New York City -- The Home Depot partnered with Scanbuy to launch a national communications strategy utilizing mobile barcodes enabled by Scanbuy’s ScanLife system. The initiative incorporates 2D bar codes (QR codes) that give customers immediate access to such information as product rating and reviews, How-To guides and videos on specific products.

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens announced that it would "accelerate its online strategy" by acquiring e-retailer Drugstore.com. The deal, worth about $429 million, gives Walgreens access to 3 million online customers.