News

Ex-Victoria's Secret CEO joins Brown Shoe board
Brown Shoe Company has added the former CEO of Victoria’s Secret to its board of directors.

“Adding Lori Greeley -- a well-known and highly-respected leader in retail -- to our board of directors gives us the benefit of her more than 20 years of experience,” said Diane Sullivan, CEO, president and chairman of Brown Shoe Company. “Her energy and passion for the business and her leadership skills will be a welcome addition to our company.”
Three-in-10 Valentine’s purchases are mobile
Paris – Valentine’s Day has its origins in ancient Roman times, but that doesn’t mean the holiday isn’t keeping pace with modern technology. By analyzing data from 48 million online transactions made via desktop, smartphones and tablets from more than 200 U.S. retailers, advertising company Criteo determined that three out of 10 Valentine’s Day purchases will be made on mobile.

Lowe's builds a $2.3M fund for schools

Lowe's is helping to fulfill the makeover wishes of 515 schools in 46 states with money for improvement projects.
Whole Foods, Instacart partner on same-day floral delivery

Austin, Texas – The husband or boyfriend who forgets to buy Valentines flowers until late in the day Feb. 14 now has a safeguard. Whole Foods Market and the Instacart grocery delivery app are offering Valentine’s flowers delivered in as little as one hour across 15 major U.S. metros.
Traffic troubles hurt Aaron's in 2014

Profit for rent-to-own giant Aaron’s, which has struggled with declining foot traffic and sluggish sales, fell 35% for 2014 and about 2.75% in the fourth quarter of last year.
Retail vet Peters named COO at digital innovator

James Peters held key leadership roles at Office Depot, Staples and Ross Stores but now the veteran operator is in a new role at a company giving new meaning to e-commerce.

Peters was named president and COO at San Francisco-based Delivery Agent where he had served on the board since last October. Delivery Agent’s business model is to turn viewers into revenue generating customers for brand and media companies.
Bebe same store sales jump 8%

Bebe stores CEO Jim Wiggett credited a compelling merchandise assortment with helping to drive the company’s success in the second quarter.
Study: E-commerce pushes office & school supply sales up in 2014

Port Washington, N.Y. – Office and school supplies generally do not have any issues with fit or texture, making them an ideal e-commerce item. Data from the NPD Group backs this assertion up.

Retail spending on office and school supplies grew 1% in 2014 (52 weeks ending January 3, 2015) compared to 2013, with e-commerce serving as the push behind the increase. The e-commerce channel crossed the billion-dollar threshold for the first time, reaching $1.1 billion in sales, and was the only channel to experience growth across all categories.
CVS commits $5M to tobacco-free kids

The CVS Health Foundation is making a $5 million five-year commitment to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to launch a new grant program.

Through the “Making the Next Generation Tobacco-Free” program, the CVS Health Foundation will partner with Tobacco-Free Kids to provide grants to organizations committed to implementing public health strategies to reduce youth tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke.
Kirkland’s names new CEO as sales accelerate

It was a happy holiday in the home décor category and Kirkland’s is celebrating with the appointment of a new CEO and an elevated profit forecast.