News

The combination of acquisitions, new unit expansion and same-store sales growth enabled Mattress Firm to achieve record third quarter results and the company’s biggest deal ever is expected to close in 2016.

Looking back on the 2015 edition of Cyber Week, we can reminisce on big traffic, big sales … and big fails?

Several high-profile site outages hit major retailers during a period of historically heavy online shopping. While nobody would call these positive events, they do offer retailers a few valuable lessons about the need to stay one step ahead of digital customer demand.

Not Too Big to Fail

Retailers and brands are increasingly going on YouTube and posting “unboxing” videos of happy customers opening products and then examining and celebrating their features and functions for the camera, says the New York Times.

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PBteen is hoping a new omnichannel collaboration with a popular teen app may appeal to a wide swath of its target market.

The retailer is teaming up with a Disney star on a new furnishings collection inspired by a trendy new app called Make Me Nails. The app was created by the star of Disney's "A Dog with a Blog," G. Hannelius. Make Me Nails is a fully-customizable nail wrap iPhone app and e-commerce platform that allows consumers to create individual nail wrap art for each finger, for the ultimate custom manicure.

Amazon drones may still be in the future, but Amazon trucks are ready now.

The Internet giant on Friday said it has purchased thousands of trailers that it will deploy in shipments to shuttle inventory along its supply chain, but not to customer homes. The Amazon-branded trailers will be pulled by tractor trucks provided by existing third-party transportation partners.

Amazon made the announcement at an event in Chicago where employees prepared 2,000 care packages to be sent to soldiers overseas. The packages included Amazon Fire tablets.

Brookshire Grocery Co. is undertaking an ambitious omnichannel transformation plan, and focusing it on the wants and needs of the consumer.

“We know everything there is to know about our customers,” said John D’Anna, senior VP and CIO of Tyler, Texas-based Brookshire, in an interview with Chain Store Age. The regional chain operates 152 stores under the Brookshire’s, Super 1 Foods and Fresh by Brookshire’s banners.

The founder and ousted CEO of the embattled American Apparel is nothing if not determined.

Charney said he has hired Los Angeles-based Cardinal Advisors to evaluate options as he explores plans with new and existing investors and industry executives to revive the company, which filed for bankruptcy in October.

The minimalist Japanese lifestyle brand Muji has opened its largest U.S. location yet, a two-level, 12,000-sq.-ft. flagship on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. It’s the company’s fifth location in the Big Apple.

The store, designated as Muji’s U.S. flagship, includes such extras as an embroidering station where customers can have their items customized, choosing from more than 100 designs, and an Aroma Lab, where shoppers can create custom scents choosing from some 48 essential oils.

Target Corp. is bringing back a beloved family film classic just in time for the holidays — and getting in some prime time high-profile marketing in the process.

The retailer has teamed up with ABC to show “Mary Poppins.” It's the first time in more than 13 years that the movie has been shown on television. The movie will be aired on Dec. 12, from 8 – 11 pm EST on ABC, which is owned by Disney.

Sears Hometown and Outlet stores narrowed its loss in the third quarter despite weak sales growth in the appliance and garden categories.

The retailer said same-store sales decreased 1.6% in the third quarter ended Oct. 31. Net sales fell 3.2% to $547.1 million as the company reported a loss of $3.8 million, or 17 cents a share, compared with a loss of $171.2 million, or $7.55 a share, a year earlier.