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Lush, London
Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics has opened its largest store in the world — a 9,500-sq.-ft. flagship on London’s busy Oxford Street. The three-story flagship is a veritable beauty wonderland, complete with an in-store spa. It’s also a delight for the senses, calling out at every step for customers to touch, feel, and smell the products.
Featured Content: Top 3 strategies to optimize revenue this holiday season
As the holiday season creeps up and Black Friday is just around the corner, successful companies are finalizing plans to maximize their seasonal revenues. A holiday retail sales forecast from eMarketer estimates a year-over-year increase of 5.7%, hitting an all-time high of $886 billion. To help retailers capture a larger slice of the expanding holiday pie, digital marketing services company eClerx Digital has identified three top strategies focused on optimization.

Report: American Apparel says it will become profitable in three years

Bankrupt American Apparel predicts in its reorganization plan that it will turn profitable in 2016, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The company also warned that founder and ousted CEO Dov Charney remains a risk to its future.

Read more by clicking here.
Walmart donates nearly $1M to help retail's front line

Walmart is one step closer to fulfilling its mission of donating $100 million toward increasing the economic mobility of entry-level workers.

The retailer and its Walmart Foundation are donating nearly $1 million to Innovate+Educate to fund research and build recommendations that support the advancement of entry-level workers in retail and adjacent sectors.
New PetSmart brand unites health and philanthropy

Pet lovers can now feed their own pets a wholesome meal and serve one up to a pet in need at PetSmart.

The retailer has launched a new natural pet food line called Good Natured. But the natural formulation of the food is not the only special feature of this new brand: It also has a charity component. For every bag of food purchased, PetSmart will donate a meal to a pet in need through PetSmart Charities or PetSmart Charities Canada.
Report: HEB mulls acquisition of Brookshire grocery chain

HEB is considering an acquisition of regional grocer Brookshire Grocery, which would expand HEB beyond Texas for the first time, according to a new report.

If this deal comes to pass it would put HEB in markets beyond Texas, as Brookshire has stores in Southwestern Arkansas and western Louisiana, reports MyEastTex.com. The company’s website store locator lists 117 stores — 80 in Texas, 26 in La. and 11 in Arkansas.
Winning with mobile wallets this holiday season

This holiday season, merchants will see at least one major change from last year: the prevalence of mobile wallets, and consumers eager to use them. The problem is, while many large merchants are prepared to accept mobile wallets, many smaller merchants are not.

Here’s a primer on the major mobile wallets, and what merchants need to know about each.
3 ways voice is driving omnichannel retailing

Spoken word is the oldest form of human communication. It’s also one of the newest technology trends enabling omnichannel retail.

Voice-based communications are having on a dramatic impact on how retailing is seamlessly executed. Here are three key areas where voice is supporting omnichannel operations across the retail enterprise.
Study: Biggest barriers for consumers in global online shopping are…

High shipping costs are the major barrier to adoption of global online shopping.

That is according to the 2015 Pitney Bowes Online Shopping study. High shipping costs (64%) were ranked as the biggest barrier in the survey, followed by additional fees owed at time of delivery (48%) and product delivery taking too long (39%).

Product returns are also a major concern, as 33% of global shoppers cited online return policies and processes as deterrents.
Report: Step inside American Eagle Outfitters cool headquarters

American Eagle Outfitters’ new home office, in the South-Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh, boasts a riverfront location, city views and a walking trail along the Monongahela River, reports the Pittsburgh Business Times.
Target joins UNICEF in new health charity initiative
How YouTube drives holiday shopping lists

With electronic devices in the hands of so many kids, YouTube is becoming a major force in driving their wish lists, according to a new report from Reuters. The wire service says that, as families prepare to spend an estimated $630.7 billion on gifts this holiday season, the smallest screens could have the biggest influence.