News

London - Shopitize, a U.K.-based provider of mobile, interactive shopping intelligence, is using Tableau's visual analytics to provide actionable insight into consumers' brand-specific shopping baskets. Shopitize is providing brand partners with access to real-time retail intelligence.

New York – Cache Inc. has entered into a new, three year, $30 million revolving credit facility with Salus Capital Partners LLC. The new facility replaces the company’s existing $25 million revolving credit facility with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association.

“We are pleased to have secured this new credit facility with Salus Capital, which improves our financial flexibility as we continue to implement our turnaround plan to position Cache for profitable growth,” said Jay Margolis, chairman and CEO Cache.

New York -- Total holiday sales are expected to rise 4% to 4.5% over last season, totaling between $981 and $986 billion, according to Deloitte’s annual retail holiday sales forecast. The growth represents a moderate improvement over last year’s 2.8% gain.

Additionally, Deloitte forecasts a 13.5% to 14% increase in non-store sales in the online and mail order channels during the 2014 holiday season.  

Seattle -- Starbucks Corp. will acquire the remaining shares of its Japanese joint venture, Starbucks Coffee Japan, for $913 million to accelerate growth across multiple channels in the country, including the introduction of new concepts such as Teavana. The acquisition is the largest to date made by Starbucks. Japan is the company’s second-largest market in store sales after the United States.

“Full ownership in this market is the right approach for the future," said Troy Alstead, COO, Starbucks, in a conference call with analysts.

A massive share repurchase program at Bed Bath & Beyond enabled the company to overcome increased expenses and a decline in gross margins to produce earning per share growth that exceeded analysts’ estimates.

Hudson’s Bay Company has signed a lease with Brookfield Property Partners L.P. to open an 85,000-sq.-ft. Saks Fifth Avenue store in Brookfield Place at 225 Liberty Street and a 55,000-sq.-ft. Saks Off 5th store at One Liberty Plaza in Lower Manhattan.

HBC is also leasing 400,000 sq. ft. of office space, adjacent to the Saks Fifth Avenue store at Brookfield Place. This space will become the home office for the company’s New York City-based corporate associates.

Skincare brand Olay has selected actress Katie Holmes as its first global brand ambassador. Holmes will represent the Olay global brand campaign “Your Best Beautiful.”

“I’m very excited to be the Olay Global Brand Ambassador,” said Holmes. “Olay is a brand I respect, trust and believe in. I love the products and message to women to never settle and put their best face forward, every day.”

In anticipation of the holiday shopping season, Amazon has introduced #AmazonWishList, which allows customers to add items to their Amazon Wish List without leaving Twitter.

Customers who find Tweets with an Amazon.com product links will be able to add those products to their Amazon Wish List by replying on Twitter with #AmazonWishList.

Kroger is a member of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Million Dollar Club for the second consecutive year. The company was inducted in the $250 to $500 million annual expenditure category.

Procter & Gamble vice chairman Werner Geissler, who is also special adviser to the chairman and CEO, has announced plans to retire from the company Dec. 31, after more than 35 years of service.