News

Rye, N.Y. -- Jarden Corporation, a global consumer products company, announced that it has completed its acquisition of Yankee Candle Investments LLC from a fund managed by Madison Dearborn Partners for approximately $1.75 billion in cash, subject to final working capital and other adjustments.

JustFab blends fashion, commerce and technology in its first physical store

JustFab, the fast-growing fashion subscription e-commerce brand, has joined the growing ranks of pure online players venturing into brick-and-mortar. The company made its retail debut in Glendale Galleria, Glendale, Calif., opening a 3,000-sq.-ft. flagship that combines digital and traditional retailing.

Former Walmart executive Mark Trowbridge has joined supply chain technology provider Park City Group as one of the firm’s senior advisors.

Trowbridge spent 16 years at Walmart where he launched the Neighborhood Market store and a merchant leadership rogram to recruit and train buyers, according to a press release announcing his new role at Park City Group. He still lives in Bentonville. Trowbridge’s new responsibilities include developing business solutions, consulting and expanding efforts in the retail channel.

Armonk, N.Y. -- IBM announced the acquisition of Xtify Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based mobile messaging tools that help organizations improve mobile sales, drive in-store traffic and engage customers with personalized offers. Financial terms are not being disclosed.

The acquisition will help extend IBM’s mobile capabilities to digital marketers across all industries ranging from retail to citizen engagement in the public sector through cloud-based services.

Feelgoodz leverages shipping solutions to deliver savings and customer service

Feelgoodz Inc. likes to create a customer environment that is as carefree and comfortable as its signature merchandise: eco-friendly flip-flops.

Although the company operates one store in Raleigh, N.C., its e-commerce site serves as its primary direct-to-consumer selling channel, meaning that smoothly functioning order fulfillment is of paramount importance to maintaining positive customer-service vibrations.

Publix is heading to South Carolina with two stores which will be located in North Myrtle Beach and Pawleys Island.

The first lease is for North Myrtle Beach located in the Coastal North Town Center at Hwy. 17 and Moss Place. The store will be a 49,000-sq.-ft. Publix supermarket and is expected to open in late 2014.

Distribution centers are evolving to keep pace with demands of omnichannel retailing

Distribution centers have evolved alongside trends such as just-in-time manufacturing and the rise of overnight shipping. Now they are changing again, this time to accommodate omnichannel consumers.

The National Retail Federation showed its Christmas spirit on Thursday by releasing a holiday forecast that calls for sales to increase 3.9% to $602 billion and assumes the President and Congress will be able to resolve their differences.

NRF’s forecasted growth rate of 3.9% is a solid figure and well above the 3.3% average growth rate of the past 10 years and ahead of last year’s 3.5% gain. In addition, the trade group’s Shop.org digital division forecast that online sales would grow between 13% and 15% to roughly $82 billion.