News

Retail revival continues in downtown Detroit
An award-winning comic book store will open in a new ground-up retail development in Detroit.

Vault of Midnight will occupy one the remaining retail spaces in The Z, which now includes several restaurants, art spaces, a sneaker shop and yoga studio.

The 2,000-sq.-ft. shop, expected to open this spring, will offer a broad selection of comic books and graphic novels as well as toys, games, action figures and branded merchandise.
Jet.com travels in new product direction
Online retail marketplace Jet.com is making a big move in the home goods market.

Jet.com is purchasing Omaha, Nebraska-based online home products retailer Hayneedle for an undisclosed sum. The sale was announced in tweets on the official Hayneedle Twitter account. In addition, Jet.com founder, chairman and CEO Marc Lore and Hayneedle president and CEO Jon Barker confirmed the acquisition in an interview with the Omaha World-Herald.

Lumber Liquidator woes continue in Q4

Things were worse than expected for Lumber Liquidators in the fourth quarter, which experienced decreased customer activity that was likely due to cancer-related concerns over its laminate flooring.

Net sales for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2015 were down 13.7% year-over-year to $234.8 million, including a comparable store net sales decline of 17.2% that was based on a 15.6% decrease in customer count and a 1.6% decrease in the average sale.
Five Innovations Transforming How Consumers Shop on Mobile

The abandoned shopping cart rate for mobile shoppers approximates an astounding 97%, according to some estimates. Clearly, this hair-raising stat proves consumers’ deep disappointment with mobile commerce.
Shoppers Drug Mart posts Q4 same-store sales lift of 5%

Loblaw on Thursday posted $33.6 billion in revenue for its year ended Jan. 2, a 6.5% lift with one week less of sales - Loblaw's fiscal 2015 represents 52 weeks while fiscal 2014 represents 53 weeks.
Webinar Today: Maximize your traffic and conversion program

There’s still time to sign up for today’s Webinar, “Getting the Most Out of Your Traffic and Conversion Program.”

The presentation, on Tuesday, March 1, from 2 p. m. to 2:30 p.m. EST, will provide valuable insights for retailers who are already tracking traffic and conversion in their stores and those that are considering it. Click here to register.
A Children’s Place's Ezra Dabah returns with online shopping service for young girls

Young girls are notoriously picky about what they wear, and a new online shopping service founded by the former chairman and CEO of A Children’s Place is looking to do something about it.
Wayfair brings digital expertise to an old-fashioned channel

Online retailer Wayfair Inc. is putting a digital spin on that most traditional of selling vehicles: the paper catalog.
Four national retailers to open at Hanford Mall

Hanford, Calif. – Passco Companies announced four leases at Hanford Mall located in Hanford, California. Set to open summer 2016, the new retailers include Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, Dunkin Donuts, and Pieology.
Target looks to Amazon for new logistics chief

Target Corp. is hiring Arthur Valdez, a 16-year veteran of Amazon.com, as executive VP, chief supply chain and logistics officer.

Valdez will lead Target’s supply chain transformation including planning, distribution and transportation. He will report to Target’s executive VP and COO John Mulligan.
Three Tips for Training Millennial Salespeople

Sales has come a long way. Gone are the days of door-to-door and the other tired sales methods. And salespeople? They’ve evolved, too.

Training a sales team can be hard — especially when it comes to building a new workforce. You know, those employees whose only door-to-door experience consists of trick-or-treating. Yep, we’re talking about Millennials.
Another online brand gets serious about offline expansion

An online brand known for its retro-inspired Indie fashions has brought on new executives to help it move into physical retailing and build an international presence.