News

DSW Inc. has been on a win streak lately, with growing profits and store counts. Now the retailer has notched another win, this time for its excellence in omnichannel retailing.

In an effort to highlight retail’s entrepreneurial spirit, NRF is hosting a night of shopping in the nation’s capital.

The National Retail Federation’s “Retail’s Night Out” will be a celebration of Small Business Week with local merchants and national brands set up in one-night-only pop-up shops in Washington, D.C., on May 6. The event will also feature live music, local food trucks and a red carpet.

Whole Foods Market set another sales record in the second quarter – but that’s not enough for the grocery chain, which announced it is launching a new store concept targeted to the Millennial shopper.

New York -- Thirty percent of consumers either own or plan to buy a wearable device in the next 12 months, and 34% of those consumers want wearable technology to make their lives easier – and that includes shopping. Those are among the findings of a new study by PowerReviews, a ratings and reviews provider.

Cincinnati -- Grocery shoppers have a resounding message for grocery retailers who have been enticing them with fuel rewards for over a decade: Fuel rewards alone aren’t winning their loyalty. Grocery discounts are the new value driver.

St. Louis -- Build-A-Bear Workshop said its total revenue fell 5% in the first quarter amid harsh winter weather between Valentine’s Day and Easter in North America.  

The chain’s profit for the quarter, ended March 29, totaled a better-than-expected $8.3 million, compared with from $5.1 million in the year-ago period.

Total revenues were $93.4 million, less than expected, compared to $97.9 million in year-ago period. Revenue was also negatively impacted by fiscal 2014 having a 53rd week, the company said.

New York -- Global beauty sales, already a nearly $400 billion market, is on the verge of explosive growth from emerging markets, but will see an industry in flux as consolidation and technology disrupt channels of distribution, according to Fung Business Intelligence Centre’s just-released Global Beauty Report.

New York -- Aimee Soft, a Tel Aviv-based software company, has become an affiliate member of The O Alliance, adding a service that helps brands identify products most likely to result in online transactions.

New York -- NetSuite Inc., a provider of cloud-based financials, ERP and and omnichannel software suites, said that boardsports retailer Billabong International Ltd. selected NetSuite SuiteCommerce to help transform customer interaction with its brands through the implementation of a new global omnichannel platform.

The platform will be progressively rolled out across the retailer to provide a true omnichannel experience across its wholesale, retail and ecommerce operations.

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot Inc. on Tuesday reported a first-quarter net profit of $45 million, compared with a loss of $109 million in the year-ago period. Its results met analysts’ expectations.

The office supply retailer said excluding non-recurring items, including costs associated with the planned acquisition of Office Depot by Staples Inc. adjusted earnings per share were 13 cents, matching the FactSet consensus.