News

Christopher & Banks falls to loss in Q3
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%.
Tech Bytes: Three Lessons from Cyber Week Site Fails
Looking back on the 2015 edition of Cyber Week, we can reminisce on big traffic, big sales … and big fails?

Several high-profile site outages hit major retailers during a period of historically heavy online shopping. While nobody would call these positive events, they do offer retailers a few valuable lessons about the need to stay one step ahead of digital customer demand.

Not Too Big to Fail

Sears connects mobile shoppers to stores

Sears Holding Corp. is trying to turn surging mobile traffic into a driver for store visits and purchases.

Sears has refreshed its mobile app with a number of features that help provide a seamless, store-centric customer experience. For example, members of its Shop Your Way loyalty program who enable location-based services can place mobile orders for out-of-stock items while in the store and get free home shipping.
Top 10 Disruptive Retail Trends for 2016

Enterprise technology provider Software AG is expecting retail to become an increasingly seamless and store-centric proposition in 2016.
Bidding war erupts for Pep Boys

Activist investor Carl Icahn has offered to buy Pep Boys-Manny, Moe & Jack in a deal valuing the U.S. auto parts retailer at about $837 million, trumping Bridgestone's offer of $810 million in October.
IDC Retail Insights: Top 10 predictions for 2016

IDC Retail Insights lays out a blueprint for the future of retail technology in its “IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Retail 2016 Predictions.”

"Retailers are transforming from a business strategy, process, and technology perspective. Executing well requires a systemic change in the way they relate to customers and to their own employees and partners,” said Leslie Hand, VP, IDC Retail Insights, and a co-author of the report.

Here are IDC’s top 10 predictions for 2016:
Target aims for shoppers who like surprises

Target is looking to generate excitement online this holiday season with a just-launched promotion aimed at shoppers who love subscription services like Birchbox.

Target has just launched a specially designed collection of boxes called Wonderpacks, which the retailer says are “meant to inspire and capture family fun.”

The kits, available on target.com, are curated and contain a combination of products to create experiences, from a game-packed road trip to sledding after sunset, the retailer says.
Retailers go outside the box with videos

Retailers and brands are increasingly going on YouTube and posting “unboxing” videos of happy customers opening products and then examining and celebrating their features and functions for the camera, says the New York Times.

Read more by clicking here.
Report: Retailers go outside the box with videos

Retailers and brands are increasingly going on YouTube and posting “unboxing” videos of happy customers opening products and then examining and celebrating their features and functions for the camera, says the New York Times. [New York Times]
The remarkable rise of Mattress Firm

The combination of acquisitions, new unit expansion and same-store sales growth enabled Mattress Firm to achieve record third quarter results and the company’s biggest deal ever is expected to close in 2016.