News

Adorama gets aboard the Google Express
Consumer electronics retailer Adorama is the latest company to join with Google Express to offer same day delivery in Manhattan.

Customers can now have their purchases of computers, tablets, smartphones, cameras, even TVs and home theaters, delivered right to their door on the same day they order. Google Express is currently offering a three-month free trial on eligible orders over $15 for new members or use the service for $4.99 per order on eligible orders over $15.
Look what Santa put under Whole Foods' tree
Whole Foods has a tendency to zig when other retailers zag and it is doing just that with a new line PBS Kids branded toys this holiday season.

No bright shiny plastic toys will be found on Whole Foods shelves. Instead, the natural grocer struck a deal with PBS Kids to offer a line of educational and sustainable wooden toys and plush products for kids ages six months to three years. Each item in the PBS Kids line is made with safe, non-toxic materials and inks, and all packaging is made from recycled materials, according to the companies.

Clickstop gets creative with employee development

Clickstop, a multi-brand online retailer, has promoted Sarah Watson to Director of Business Development, moving supplies, for the company’s largest online store, USCargoControl.com.

This promotion is in line with Clickstop’s focus on strength-based approach to employee learning implemented in 2014. Watson's natural drive to achieve goals, anticipate obstacles, seek consensus and organize work to improve collaboration has propelled her into this new role, according to the company.
Starbucks swings to profit in Q4, plans 1,650 new stores

Seattle –- Starbucks Corp. topped off a generally successful fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 by swinging to net income of $587.9 million from net loss of $1.23 billion the fourth quarter of the prior fiscal year. The removal of a one-time arbitration charge of $2.8 billion helped bring Starbucks into the black.
Nielsen: Holiday spending to increase 1.9%

New York –- Holiday spending among U.S. consumers is expected to rise 1.9% in 2014 compared to the prior year. According to the 2014 Nielsen Holiday Retail Sales Forecast, which surveyed more than 25,000 demographically representative American households in September, 25% of respondents had already started holiday shopping in September.
QVC enhances smartphone, tablet experience

West Chester, Penn. –- QVC will introduce a new in-app mobile feature in the coming weeks that allows customers to make purchases with a touch of their finger. Using Apple's fingerprint sensor technology, Touch ID, the QVC for iPhone app now gives customers the option to log in to their QVC accounts on all iOS 8-enabled iPhone 5S, 6 and 6+ mobile devices using only their fingertip to authenticate their identity.
Gilt adds Alipay as part of China effort

New York –- Online retailer Gilt has added the Alipay EPass payment option to its checkout, making it easier for consumers in China to shop using its e-commerce platform. The partnership provides a more seamless experience for Chinese Gilt members, allowing them to pay through their existing Alipay accounts directly on the Gilt website.
Study: More consumers use technology in restaurants
Elizabeth Arden swings to Q1 loss, plans Southeast Asia entry

New York -– Non-recurring items, including charges relating to stock issuance and tax valuation, helped swing Elizabeth Arden Inc. to a net loss of $25.5 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2015, compared to net income of $1.59 million in the same period a year earlier. Declining North American fragrance sales helped reduce net sales 21% to $270.38 million from $343.6 million.
Study: Online grocery sales to near $100 billion by 2019

Rockville, Md. -- Online grocery shopping sales will grow roughly fourfold from about $23 billion in 2014 (accounting for 3.5% of total online and offline grocery spending) to approach $100 billion by 2019 (capturing 12% of total grocery spending). Market research publisher Packaged Facts forecasts that online grocery service providers will develop models that solve logistics problems while being profitable for the operators.
Talbots selects APT analytics software

Hingham, Mass.-- Talbots Inc. will license APT’s software, including its Test & Learn and Market Basket Analyzer platforms, to test and analyze key business initiatives including promotions, merchandising, marketing and store operations. Talbots will use APT’s Test & Learn approach to identify which actions are most successful in improving performance and measure their impact on a test versus control basis.
U.K. convenience store One Stop extends Galleria merchandising rollout

Wolverhampton, U.K. –- U.K.-based convenience chain One Stop has been using Galleria’s Customer Centric Merchandising solution for planogram automation and optimization for a number of years, and is now implementing the Galleria Behavioral Cluster Planning tool. The new solution will provide a better understanding of consumers, assisting One Stop to understand how their categories are being shopped.