News

Walnut Creek, Calif. – A new study from RSR Research concludes that retailers offering multiple selling channels connect more with consumers and are more profitable than retailers operating a single channel. Virtually every cross-channel selling tactic is being employed by retailers more this year than in 2012, with particularly strong growth in mobile.

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Kohl’s plans to open a new customer service operations center in Dallas in late spring 2014. The two-building, three-story, 240,000-sq.-ft. facility will support the company’s growing Kohl’s Charge program as well as Kohls.com.

The company's e-commerce site reached $1.4 billion in sales last year following three consecutive years of more than 40% annual growth.

ABILENE, Kan. — Lingering winter weather conditions affected broad-line retailer Alco, which reported same-store sales of $112.4 million for the first quarter ended May 5, a 2.2% decrease from $115 million for the same quarter a year ago.

The company reported net sales from continuing operations for the quarter of $117.5 million, an increase of 0.9% from $116.5 million for the same quarter a year ago.

Evansville, Ind. -- Shoe Carnival said Thursday it has named Kent Zimmerman as VP e-commerce, effective June 3.

Zimmerman, who comes to the footwear retailer from global systems integration and solutions provider Optaros, is charged with overseeing Shoe Carvinal’s e-commerce and omni-channel strategies.

“We believe Shoe Carnival has a tremendous opportunity to grow our e-commerce and overall omni-channel presence in the family footwear industry,” said Cliff Sifford, president and CEO. “

The Sobey’s chain of food stores, whose parent company counts former Walmart Canada head Dave Ferguson among its board members, has added new square footage to its retail portfolio with the acquisitions of Safeway’s Canadian stores.

The $5.8 billion deal, announced late Wednesday will added Safeway’s 223 stores and 12 manufacturing facilities to Sobey’s existing operation which includes about 1,500 stores under banners such as Sobeys, IGA extra, Thrifty Foods, IGA, Foodland and FreshCo.

FREMONT — Net sales at Men's Wearhouse's flagship brand stores got off to a slow start, but clothing and tuxedo revenues picked up, allowing the company to see total net sales of $617 million for the first quarter ended May 4, an increase of 5% from $587 million for the quarter last year.  

The Container Store has turned to Usablenet, a mobile and multichannel technology provider, to upgrade its mobile Web site so the retailer can provide its customers with a seamless mobile shopping experience.

HSN may have been a pioneer in using TV as a shopping channel, but the retailer is using emerging technology to become a much broader enterprise. As HSN CEO Mindy Grossman detailed during a keynote session at last week’s Internet Retailer conference in Chicago, this is not your mother’s HSN. Not by a long shot.

“We’re engaging consumers away from TV,” said Grossman. “There is a dramatic transformation of the consumer. They are being reshaped by technology, social networks and mobility.”