News

New York - Following a strong economic pick-up in fourth quarter 2013, values for both imports and exports fell during first quarter 2014, compared to the previous quarter. According to a new report from supply chain research firm Panjiva, imports dropped 5.42% and exports 3.84% from fourth quarter 2013, though activity in March fared better than in January and February.
 
Some of the report highlights include:

Salt Lake City - Overstock.com is offering a private label credit card issued through Comenity Capital Bank. To pay using the Overstock.com store card, shoppers select that option when checking out.

They are then prompted to submit a brief application, after which approval is confirmed within seconds. The card number is stored in conjunction with the customer's Overstock.com account, though the customer also receives a physical card.

New York – Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. is launching an omnichannel marketing campaign to support specific charitable projects under three company pillars – Collective Health, Civil Liberties, and Artistic Activism. The advertising campaign will be supported by a national print, outdoor, digital, and social media plan.

Irving, Texas - The Michaels Companies Inc. has recognized Polygroup Limited as its overall Vendor of the Year for product innovation, customer education and inspiration, quality products, and efficiency in supply chain. Michaels has also named Con-way Truckload as domestic transportation Supply Chain Partner of the Year and Kintetsu World Express Inc. as international Supply Chain Partner of the Year.

Eleven vendor and supply chain partners were recognized for their contributions to Michaels' success over the past year.

Boulder, Colo. - Fairytale Brownies has opened a mobile store designed for ordering any time and from any mobile device, based on the MShopper mobile commerce platform. Customers can log into an existing account, create an account or make a purchase as a guest, with no need to download an app.

Armonk, N.Y. - IBM’s research team in Brazil has created a new way for marketers to engage shoppers who cannot visually identify objects. The team created an image recognition technology which uses “identifying markers” placed around a display to recognize products between each marker by simply taking a picture.

Beauty retailer bareMinerals unveiled its new bareMinerals Shade Shop concept, in Manhattan’s SoHo area. The format puts a different spin on the company’s signature complexion products, merchandising them by what it calls shade family – light, medium, tan, dark and deep– in a streamlined, easy-to-navigate environment.

By Carin van Vuuren, CMO, Usablenet

When it comes to retail, online and physical aren’t mutually exclusive entities. Yet, conversations in the industry today too often focus on online sales dominating brick-and-mortar shopping, rather than the benefits of bridging the two together.

By reframing the discussion away from an “either/or,” retailers can create an entirely new set of opportunities to aid in engaging with their valued customers.

New York -- Lululemon Athletica Inc.’s founder, Dennis "Chip" Wilson, reached an agreement to sell half his stake in the women's yoga-wear company to Advent International of Boston for $845 million. The deal will give Advent, which owned shares of Lululemon from 2005 to 2009 and was one of the company's early venture capital backers, 20.1 million shares, or 13.9% of the company (Lululemon went public in 2009). It also gives Advent two seats on the board, including Advent's managing partner David Mussafer, who will become co-chairman of the retailer.

As the start of the school year gets closer, Kids Foot Locker has joined forces with Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul, widely known by fans, media and fellow athletes as CP3, to promote the store’s line of Jordan products.
 
A new commercial, produced by BBDO and slated to start airing on children’s networks Aug. 8, features Paul taking photos with young basketball players wearing Jordan gear.