News

Same store sales rise at Costco in May
Costco reported a bump in U.S. same store sales for the month of May, but international comps declined.
Lands’ End profit plummets in tough Q1
Dodgeville, Wis. – Profit plummeted in a difficult first quarter of fiscal 2015 for Lands’ End Inc. that also saw sales decline. Cost of sales and other expenses declined at a smaller rate than revenues, leading to net income of $1.72 million, down 84% from $10.86 million the same quarter a year earlier.

Net merchandise sales and services declined 9% to $299.39 million from $330.48 million. Same-store sales dropped 12.1%.

Williams-Sonoma rolls out video checkout

Williams-Sonoma is rolling out a fast, easy and secure way to pay online that brings a whole new meaning to instant gratification.

The retailer is teaming up with Visa to launch a marketing campaign and four-part video series called “Time to Savor Summer.” The video series, launched in support of the availability of Visa Checkout on the Williams-Sonoma e-commerce site, will be “shoppable” due to YouTube’s new shoppable video technology.
Inland Real Estate Group names chief accounting officer

Oak Brook, Ill. - The Inland Real Estate Group Inc. is naming Prashant Bodhanwala, 48, as chief accounting officer, overseeing accounting, financial strategic planning and financial analyses for Inland. Bodhanwala most recently served as VP of accounting for CA Ventures LLC, a real estate development firm, where he was responsible for all accounting, tax, accounts payable, accounts receivable and payroll.
How McMillon is reinventing Walmart

According to Fortune, CEO Doug McMillon may be the best prepared executive to lead the company since Sam Walton.

The magazine details how McMillon is guiding the retail giant in the Age of Disruption.

Read more by clicking here.
Microsoft: Future includes clouds, nodes, maybe not encryption

Redmond, Wash. – Microsoft Corp. recently held a press tour of its Redmond, Washington campus that included briefings on the future of technology. Two items that may be of particular interest to retailers are a transformation to an IT networking model based on interconnected nodes, and a world where encryption-based security is obsolete.

“Peripherals will become nodes on an interconnected network,” said David Baumert, senior program manager technology & research, Microsoft. “They will sense the meaning of interactions.”
Sam’s Club, SmartBiz partner on digital lending platform

Bentonville, Ark. - Sam’s Club is partnering with SmartBiz as the exclusive platform for SBA-guaranteed loans for Sam's Club Business Lending Center, a digital platform for small businesses. As a Business Lending Center participant, SmartBiz will provide qualifying Sam's Club business members with SBA loans.
Report: Gap eyes Toys"R"Us space in Times Square

Gap Inc. is eyeing the 110,000-sq.-ft.
J. Crew preps for down 2015

New York – J. Crew Group is prepping for a down fiscal 2015 after a disappointing first quarter. Non-cash goodwill impairment charges and rising selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses helped significantly increase the retailer’s net loss to $462.4 million, compared to $30.1 million the first quarter of fiscal 2014.
Study: Online shoppers shift channels

Atlanta - Online shoppers frequently change retail channels during their shopping experience. According to the new Pulse of the Online Shopper study from UPS and comScore, better prices (57%) and selection (49%) are the top reasons for purchasing online after researching an item in-store.

Nearly half (48%) of online shoppers have used ship to store in the past year, and 45% of those consumers made an additional purchase when picking up their online purchase.