News

Brands just can’t escape a challenging retail environment — a main reason Starbucks is pulling the plug on its Teavana operation.   Just hours after the coffee giant announced it would buy out the remaining 50% share of its East China business from its joint venture partners for about $1.3 billion — its biggest acquisition, ever — Starbucks is cutting loose its Teavana division.  

eBay is making it easier for mobile shoppers to browse its massive product catalog.    The online merchant is adding two new solutions that rely on pictures instead of words to help customers search its online offering of 1.1 billion items. The tools, which are supported by artificial intelligence and machine learning, will help mobile shoppers pinpoint — and purchase — merchandise faster.   

Amazon is making good on its promise to hire 130,000 workers by 2018.   The online giant announced Wednesday that it plans to fill more than 50,000 roles across its fulfillment network in the United States. Amazon is hiring “tens of thousands” full-time associates who will pick, pack and ship customer orders from its fulfillment centers. It will also fill supporting and managerial roles within its facilities, including human resources managers, IT specialists, and operations leaders, among other positions, the retailer said.

Parents are pulling back on their back-to-school spending, and making “essential” school supplies their top priorities.    This was according to a new survey from Ebates and global internet services company Rakuten. The study, which was conducted online by Propeller Insights in June 2017, tapped 1,001 adults and 500 teens.  

The nation's largest specialty candy retailer may soon get even bigger.    BBX Capital Corp. has acquired It’Sugar for approximately $57 million. BBX said it plans to expand It'Sugar, which currently operates 95 locations in 26 states, by opening new retail stores in high-traffic leisure locations.   

Walmart has found a way to make the digital shopping experience even faster.   The discounter launched a new service on Tuesday that streamlines how shoppers reorder merchandise via their desktop or Walmart app. Called Easy Reorder, the service integrates shoppers’ purchase histories —a list that is comprised of merchandise purchased both in-store and online. The service curates the customer’s most purchased items — including brands and sizes.   

Eager to improve customer communication, a majority of retailers plan to increase in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) moving forward.   This was according to “How AI Technology Will Transform Customer Engagement,” a report from Linc and BrandGarage. The study polled 104 senior-level marketing and e-commerce executives from leading retail brands.  

A specialty retailer continues to expand its breadth.   See’s Candies plans to open nearly a dozen new or relocated stores by the end of 2017. All new locations will set up shop in California.    The new stores will be located in San Jose, Castro Valley, Manhattan Beach, Paso Robles, Laguna Hills, Glendale and Calabasas. The new locations come on the heels of new shops that have previously opened or moved this year into new or larger locations in Escondido, Windsor and Pleasant Hill, California.

Investors at the nation’s largest rent-to-own company are their losing patience.   Activist hedge fund Marcato Capital Management LP demanded in a letter on Tuesday, July 25, that Rent-A-Center start the process of selling itself. If the company doesn’t, the hedge fund threatened to throw out board members up for re-election at next year's annual meeting, according to Reuters.  

BJ’s Wholesale Club just made a big move within its digital transformation plan.    The warehouse club operator introduced a mobile site that is integrate within its omnichannel strategy. In addition to using the site to browse, research and purchase items, members can also manage their memberships through their smart device.