News

Research Triangle Park, N.C. – ChannelAdvisor Corp., a provider of cloud-based e-commerce solutions, has launched its 2014 Autumn Release, with new features and advancements added to the company’s platform. The 2014 Autumn Release offers enhanced EBay management with QuickStart and Custom options, new support for social sites Polyvore, Wanelo and mobile search engine Yahoo Gemini, as well as expanded global capabilities through support for marketplaces such as MeinPaket, Rakuten.de and Zalando.

San Francisco - Tapcentive has launched its NFC- and BLE-connected Touchpoint devices for use with its cloud-based Mobile Engagement Platform. Tapcentive Touchpoints offer marketers visible, interactive engagement technology for driving consumer awareness and influencing in-location behavior.

Plug and Play helps bring together retailers and startups who offer specific technology and expertise that can relieve their pain points. In each issue of our Customer Disruption e-newsletter, we will provide you a brief Q&A with the CEO of a Plug and Play startup, explaining how their company assists retailers in succeeding in today’s disruptive customer environment.

This week’s CEO Corner features three questions with Judd Ferrer, CEO of Sparkle.

What does your company do?

Cincinnati -- Macy’s Inc. is launching a large number of omnichannel strategies and technologies encompassing stores, online and mobile. In addition to supporting the new Apple Pay mobile payment system, the department store retailer’s new moves include piloting same-day delivery, testing new POS technology and customer service enhancements, and expanding its use of RFID to fashion categories.

By Christoph Stehmann, Pitney Bowes

Imagine that it’s a breezy Friday morning and tonight is your nephew’s birthday party. It’s completely slipped your mind, and there just isn’t time in your day to go shopping. However, you’re not stricken with panic, because this solution is routine. You go online, find the hottest toy, and hit Amazon Prime Air. You quickly hop in the shower, scarf down a breakfast, and on your way out the door, a small “Octocopter” is touching down on your doorstep to save your day.

Fort Worth, Texas – John Feray, who had served as CFO of RadioShack for less than a year, has resigned from the company, citing personal reasons. Holly F. Etlin, managing director of AlixPartners and longtime RadioShack advisor, has been named interim CFO of the struggling retailer. She previously served as RadioShack's interim CFO from July 2013 to February 2014.

Toronto – So far, the November 2013 purchase of Saks Fifth Avenue by Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) is paying dividends. HBC reported strong results during the second quarter of fiscal 2014, including a shrinking of its net loss from $81 million in the second quarter of the prior fiscal year to $36 million.

Primarily due to the addition of Saks revenue, total sales climbed 87% to $1.77 billion from $948 million. Consolidated same-store sales grew 1.9%. Digital sales were $162 million, including $116 million from Saks.

New York - While the majority of consumers prefer to both shop and spend their money in brick-and-mortar retail stores, more than 60% are increasing their online shopping activities, according to a survey of 1,515 consumers by digital marketing firm SmartFocus. This trend is most prevalent among women (71%) and Millennials.

New York – Ann Inc. is publicly responding to an open letter sent by activist investors Engine Capital and Red Alder on Aug. 25, which urged the company to sell at a substantial premium above current stock price. In a press release, Ann Inc. said its board is “very active and consistently has been, and remains, focused on enhancing shareholder value.”

Ann Inc. also said its board regularly reviews all options and uses a financial advisor to help evaluate them.

Pleasanton, Calif. -  Blackhawk Network has completed the acquisition of Dallas-based CardLab Inc., an online provider of customizable prepaid incentive and rewards cards. The deal is part of Blackhawk's strategy to extend its prepaid card solutions from physical and online retail channels into the business-to-business channels that issue incentives and rewards to consumers, customers and employees.