News

Jones NY closing all stores
Jones New York is closing all of its stores, discontinuing its wholesale business and will look at strategic alternatives for its brand, the company said.

The women's clothing company said it is making the move after a review of its recent performance and outlook.
Toys 'R' Us kicks off Special Olympics drive
Toys "R" Us is expanding its partnership with the Special Olympics with a whopping $1.25 million commitment toward sponsoring the 2015 Special Olympics World Games.

The Games, which will welcome 7,000 athletes and 3,000 coaches representing 177 countries, to Los Angeles, Calif., from July 25 to Aug. 2, is the flagship event of the Special Olympics and biggest sporting event of the year. The 2015 World Games marks the first time in 16 years that the Summer World Games have been held in the United States.

Walmart gets exclusive Harlequin book deal

Walmart shoppers who read Harlequin novels and who also have a fondness for bull riders are in for a treat.
More executive changes at Gap Inc.

Gap Inc. has implemented yet another management shake-up, this time eliminating its creative director.

Rebecca Bay, whom the apparel retailer brought in from Hennes & Mauritz in September 2012 to help revive its namesake brand, has left the company.

The retailer also said that it has named Gap Inc. veteran Scott Key as general manager of customer experience, overseeing a newly created e-commerce and marketing organization, as the company aims to sharpen its focus on customers.
Amazon.com 'Primed' for a profitable 2015?

Amazon’s Prime membership seemed to be the golden ticket to stronger sales for the e-commerce giant in the fourth quarter.
Walmart, Sears top study of most popular store sites on Facebook

San Mateo, Calif. -- A pair of veteran retailers were among the most popular store sites on Facebook during the 2014 holiday season. Sears was the most popular U.S. department store, while Walmart.com was the most popular mass merchant store site, according to a study by Searchmetrics.

The Searchmetrics study analyzed the number of weekly Facebook likes, comments and shares for pages from the websites of nine top US department stores and three mass merchant stores during November and December 2014.
POS[itively] Limitless: The Components That Drive Total Reliability in Retail POS

Click Here to View Full Infographic
For Retailers, Payments Trump Omnichannel

By Amy ter Haar
Yahoo to spin off Alibaba stake, reports flat Q4 results

Sunnyvale, Calif. – Yahoo Inc. plans a tax-free spin-off of its remaining holdings in Alibaba Group. The spinoff will create an independent registered investment company called SpinCo.

Stock of the new company will be distributed pro rata to Yahoo shareholders, resulting in SpinCo becoming a separate publicly traded company. Following the spin-off, Yahoo will continue to operate its core business and hold its 35.5% interest in Yahoo Japan.
NRF: Most retailers plan unified commerce platforms

Washington, D.C. – It may take a while, but most retailers ultimately plan to implement a unified commerce platform. According to a new study of 300 U.S., European and Australian retail business and IT executives conducted by the National Retail Federation, Ecommerce Europe and Ecommerce Foundation in partnership with Demandware, 53% expect to implement a unified commerce platform in the next few years. And during the next 10 years, 86% of retailers surveyed plan to implement a unified commerce platform.
U.K. online retailer boosts sales with Treepodia’s YouTube curation

London – If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then perhaps a video is worth 1,000 sales. U.K. electric appliance retailer ElectricShopping.com has increased unit sales by 37% using Treepodia’s new YouTube Fetcher service.
BCBGMaxazria Group enhances in-store shopping experience with Demandware

New York -- BCBGMaxazria Group has expanded its relationship with Demandware to advance its omnichannel commerce strategy. The retailer launched the Demandware Digital Store Solution in nearly 180 BCBGMAXAZRIA U.S. stores in just three months to equip store associates with the solution in time for the holiday shopping season.