News

Staples setting holiday Style standard
Office products are getting a stylish makeover at Staples with two designer-driven collections arriving mid-November. “Style at Staples” is the name of a new assortment that features the new designs by Cynthia Rowley and British stationary brand Paperhouse.
BDO USA: Retailers bullish on holiday, cautious on inventory; jobs top concern
Chicago -- The marketing chiefs of U.S. retailers are optimistic about the upcoming holiday season, forecasting a solid 4.1% increase in overall holiday store sales, according to a recent BDO USA survey. The projection is in line with the National Retail Federation’s 4.1% expected holiday sales increase, and is a full percentage point higher than actual retail sales gains in the 2013 season.

Roundy’s swings to loss in Q3 on impairment, expenses

Milwaukee –- Roundy’s Inc. swung to a net loss of $249.9 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2014 from net income of $3.2 million the same quarter a year earlier. A variety of impairment charges, including charges related to closing a distribution center, taxes and disposal of obsolete assets, drove Roundy’s into the red, along with higher operating and administrative expenses.
Shopko Optical goes digital

Shopko has launched an exclusive online optical line, Asher & Ivy, which the company says combines hipster attitude with a bit of “geek chic.”

“The Asher & Ivy exclusive eyewear collection is trend-forward, fresh and fun,” said Don Bye, vp of Shopko Optical Services. “We are thrilled to introduce this new brand on our enhanced website.”

Asher & Ivy Eyewear is available exclusively online, however, the eyeglasses can also be shipped to any local Shopko Eyecare Center.
HGTV redesigns e-commerce site

New York -- Home/lifestyle brand has redesigned its HGTV.com e-commerce site. The new site includes a curated photo library, revamped show and talent profile pages for the HGTV cable network, and a collection of content channels including content from HGTV television shows. HGTV is allowing consumers to directly interact with its TV series and stars via social media.
Bacchi named chief information officer at Choice Logistics

Robert Bacchi, Choice Logistics’ SVP of information systems has been named the company’s EVP and chief information officer. Bacchi will continue to report to Michael Katz, CEO of Choice.
Survey: Shoppers using mobile devices in stores to reseach, compare prices
ADM promotes its president to CEO

Archer Daniels Midland Company has appointed Juan R. Luciano the next CEO and also has elected him to the company’s board of directors, effective immediately. Luciano previously served as company’s president and COO responsible for leading and running the company’s global operations.

Luciano succeeds Patricia Woertz, who will continue in the role of ADM’s chairman of the board and is expected to retire in May 2016.
Tensator study: Retailers need to improve in-store experience

Bay Shore, N.Y. -- Consumers are growing disenchanted by the physical shopping experience, with 63% admitting they prefer to shop online, according to a study by Tensator Group. Eighty-percent of shoppers have used a store to view a product before purchasing online, the report found. And 68% admitted to using their phone to check the price of an item online before deciding whether to purchase in-store.
IBM predicts record mobile holiday sales

IBM is forecasting a record holiday season heavily influenced by digital sales. IBM research based on digital analytics predicts a total online sales increase of more than 15% over a 5-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday.

The biggest increase in online sales is expected on Cyber Monday with a predicted 15.8% increase over the last year, followed closely by Thanksgiving with an increase of 15.6%