News

The Men’s Wearhouse expects to close on its acquisition for Jos. A. Bank in the next 30 days after the Federal Trade Commission determined the deal doesn’t violate antitrust laws.

Men's Wearhouse agreed to pay $65 a share for Jos. A. Bank earlier this year in a deal valued at $1.8 billion that will create a company with more than 1,700 stores and pro forma annual sales of $3.5 billion.

United Stationers’ wholly owned subsidiary, United Stationers Supply Co., has completed its acquisition of CPO Commerce.

Established in 2004, CPO is a leading online tool retailer. CPO's fiscal year 2013 sales were $78 million, with a sustained track record of double-digit annual growth. The e-retailer partners with top manufacturers and sells their products through independent brand-focused online stores. CPO online stores carry a full selection of new products and an industry-leading selection of factory-reconditioned products.

Chicago - GimmeAnother, creators of a mobile application that allows consumers to re-order, has unveiled its Save to Mobile technology, a service that allows retailers to offer customers the ability to save products directly onto their mobile devices. Customers browsing a retailer website that has partnered with GimmeAnother can now click the Save to Mobile button next to an item to push that product to their personalized mobile cart on the GimmeAnother app for later re-ordering via smartphone.

Exiting Canada may have taken a bite out of Big Lots’ profits in the first quarter, but the company still saw net and comparable-store sales increase.

Net sales for the quarter increased 1.1% to $1.28 billion, compared to net sales from continuing U.S. operations of $1.26 billion for the same period last year. Comparable-store sales for stores open at least 15 months increased 0.9% for the quarter.

Columbus, Ohio – Expenses related to exiting its Canadian operations substantially reduced net earnings for Big Lots Inc. in the first quarter of fiscal 2014. Compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2013, net income fell 90% to $3.35 million from $32.33 million.

Net sales rose 1% to $1.28 billion, from $1.27 billion. Same-store sales rose 0.9%. Big Lots forecasts same-store sales growth of 1%-3% in the second quarter of fiscal 2014, and 1%-2% in the full fiscal year.

Thought-provoking presentations and forward-looking exchanges dominated the annual gathering of the Global Retail Marketing Association’s (GMRA) Executive Leadership Forum at the Don Cesar resort on St. Petersburg Beach, Fla.
 

New York -- Fast Retailing Co.’s Comptoir des Cotonniers division, a French fashion brand, has launched a new service, “Fast Shopping,” which allows European shoppers to purchase items in 20 seconds on their mobile devices via an application from Powa Technologies, London. Shoppers using the PowaTag app can scan items they see on ads in various places to make the purchase and with one click, complete the transaction and have the goods delivered to their home within 48 hours.

New York -- The Federal Trade Commission on Friday determined that the merger between Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank does not violate antitrust laws. The commission had been conducting a detailed review of the proposed $1.8 billion deal.

The Men’s Wearhouse expects to close on its acquisition for Jos. A. Bank in the next 30 days after Men's Wearhouse agreed to pay $65 a share for Jos. A. Bank earlier this year in a deal valued at $1.8 billion that will create a company with more than 1,700 stores and pro forma annual sales of $3.5 billion.