News

What fashion retailers need to know to stay competitive
Many fashion brands today have ambitious goals to become the next industry disruptor but too few focus on the steps to achieve it. Indeed, most retailers recognize they can’t access the information they need to give their customers the experiences they desire today. Nor do they have a clear view into their inventory or order management system to deliver a complete customer journey.
Amazon takes driver’s seat in supply chain
Amazon drones may still be in the future, but Amazon trucks are ready now.

According to Re/Code, Amazon.com has purchased thousands of trailers that it will deploy in shipments along its supply chain, but not to customer homes. The branded trailers storing Amazon merchandise will be pulled by tractor trucks provided by existing third-party transportation partners.

These shipments will occur between Amazon fulfillment centers and other internal fulfillment centers or sortation centers. At least for now, Amazon trailers will not be used for any customer deliveries.

Ulta racks up another gorgeous quarter

Ulta Beauty's formula of one-stop shopping for prestige, mass and salon beauty products continued to produce impressive sales and earnings growth in the third quarter.

Ulta' s net income increased 20.2% in the quarter, to a better-than-expected $71.1 million, from $59.1 million in the year-ago period. Total sales rose 22% to $910.7 million, also more than expected. Online sales surged 56.3% to $46.2 million. Same-store sales were up 12.8%, driven by a 10.6% increase in transactions and 2.2% growth in the average ticket.
Report: Staples to offer more assets to close deal

Staples is willing to sell more assets to win antitrust approval for its $6.3 billion takeover of Office Depot, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. According to the wire service, representatives from Staples and Office Depot are meeting this week with Federal Trade Commission officials ahead of a Dec. 8 deadline for the agency to decide whether to approve the deal. [Bloomberg]
RadioShack just named who as its chief creative officer?

An entertainer, actor and television personality — who also happens to be the ex-husband of recording star Mariah Carey — has been tapped as the creative head of the reborn RadioShack.

The chain announced it has hired Nick Cannon as its chief creative officer. And he won’t just be a figurehead or celebrity pitchman, according to the company.
Federal Realty taps Forest City exec to strengthen mixed-use development team

Rockville, Md. -- Federal Realty Investment Trust announced the addition of Ramsey D. Meiser to the newly created position of senior VP of mixed-use development reporting to executive VP of development Donald Briggs.
Sales miss but profits top estimates at Dollar General

Dollar General Corp. missed Wall Street projections for sales in its third quarter, but the chain came out on top again in its earnings. It also named a permanent CFO.

The discounter on Thursday posted its fifth consecutive quarter of double-digit earnings growth. It was the third consecutive quarter that Dollar General beat the Street's projection for earnings.
Carhartt dives deep into online consumer data

Vertical specialty workwear retailer Carhartt Inc. is gaining an unprecedented view into what customers want, when they want it.

Carhartt is leveraging the new IBM Commerce Insights solution that is designed to help online retailers evaluate category and product performance for quick merchandising decisions. Leveraging cognitive capabilities from Watson Analytics,IBM Commerce Insights provides a single view of customer behavioral, market and business performance data directly on Carhartt’s storefront.
What vendor is the leading retail software provider?

One well-known technology provider takes the top spot in installed worldwide revenue for both retail software and retail software-as-a-service (SaaS).

According to a new study from IHL Group, “Total Retail Software Market,” Microsoft is ranked number one in both categories. IHL estimates the total worldwide retail software market is currently worth $44 billion and will grow 48% in the next five years. Microsoft’s share of retail software is estimated at $5.98 billion in installed revenue.
Study: U.S. retailers should look to China for growth

U.S. retailers looking for a new source of revenue may be in luck.

The number of China-based consumers shopping U.S. brands online during the holiday season has increased seven times from 2014, which is a record level according to Ant Financial Services Group’s Alipay. Alipay also found that total sales from China-based consumers purchasing U.S. products with its Alipay ePass cross-border e-commerce solution increased 15 times from the prior year.
Driving the next generation of digital retail

Retailers and academics are coming together to help drive continuing innovation in digital retailing.

“Our main mission is the advancement of digital retail through collaboration among academic and retail partners,” said Richard Last, senior director of the Global Digital Retail Research Center at the University of North Texas, during an interview with Chain Store Age.
Lands' End Q3 results show turnaround has a long way to go

A pullback in promotions, reduced catalog circulation, and unseasonably warm weather helped make for a very disappointing third quarter for Lands' End, whose effort to turnaround its business is having trouble taking hold.

The apparel retailer's sales fell 10% to $334.4 million in the quarter ended Oct. 31, compared to $373.1 million last year.

Net income fell 41% to $10.7 million, compared to $18 million in the third quarter last year.