News

With a name and a logo similar to another leading denim brand, Keirin Cut Jeans has turned to social media with a Kickstarter campaign to launch its new line.

Former Talbots and Bloomingdales executive Lisa Gavales was named president and CEO of personalized gift retailer Things Remembered where she plans to further evolve the retailer’s omnichannel offering.

Things Remembered operates 600 stores nationwide that are integrated with its Web site to allow for online ordering and same day pick up. Gavales will join the company November 10 to fill the position being vacated by Michael Anthony. He is relinquishing the CEO title after eight years but will remain as chairman of the board.

Books-A-Million Inc. is once again accepting Joe Muggs coffee donations for their Coffee for the Troops campaign that will benefit troops serving overseas and stateside.

Kyle Marchesseault was named director of marketing at Blueport Commerce, a company that describes itself as the omnichannel solution for the $78 billion furniture industry.

Portland will be the proving ground this fall for a new mobile commerce initiative from Starbucks called Mobile Order and Pay that is part of the company’s broader effort to radically transform the retail experience.

President Barack Obama has taken heat over his use of executive orders, but that wasn’t the case on Friday when retail trade groups lined up behind the president in support of wide ranging data security measures.

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Company continues to extend its mobile offerings. The coffee giant will launch mobile ordering in its locations in the Portland, Ore., area by year end, with a full rollout nationwide in 2015.    The mobile-order app will enable customers to place orders in advance of their visit and pick them up at their selected Starbucks location.   

New York -- Holiday shopping is going to start early this year, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers’ latest consumer tracking survey. About 35% of consumers have or will have started their holiday shopping by the end of October. Roughly three out of five shoppers will begin shopping by Thanksgiving this year, and by the end of the Thanksgiving weekend 86% will have started making purchases.   

Los Angeles -- More than half (63%) of U.S. online shoppers are not familiar with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.com, according to a survey by Bizrate Insights, a division of Connexity (formerly Shopzilla).

 

Interestingly, respondents not familiar with the Alibaba brand or website skewed toward younger generations and women (who traditionally are the decision makers behind the lion’s share of retail).

 

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