News

Armonk, N.Y. - Online sales were up 18.7% the weekend before Thanksgiving (Nov. 22-23) compared to the same two-day period in 2013. According to IBM Digital Benchmark analysis, mobile traffic accounted for 48.8% of all online traffic, an increase of 24.4% year-over-year.

In addition, mobile sales accounted for 26.6% of all online sales, an increase of 23.9% year-over-year.

NEW YORK - Fitch expects U.S. sales growth to modestly improve in the coming holiday season, with retail sales (excluding auto) expected to grow at 3%-4% in November/December versus 2.8% year to date. Fitch expects online sales will grow in the 12%-14% range during the fourth quarter, in line with year to date levels.

AUSTIN, Texas - Office Depot is currently utilizing a new location-based mobile marketing app, Shazom In-Store, in all of its Office Depot and OfficeMax retail store locations throughout the country. The solution combines Shazam, one of the world’s most popular apps, with proprietary technology from Mood Media.

DALLAS - The Container Store has long been lauded as one of the places to work—and now it looks like it’s also a great place to get married. The chain on Saturday celebrated the wedding of two 25+ year tenured employees—Greg Arechar and Lety Covarrubias—from its distribution Center,  at its headquarters. Co-founder and chairman emeritus Garrett Boone, an ordained officiant, led the ceremony.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Starting this month, social media users and others can send each other beers, cocktails and food items as gifts via a growing number of gift card options and features from Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar.  The chain has re-designed its gift card experience for both senders and receivers of gift cards that are redeemable at nearly 2,000 Applebee’s locations across the country.

New York - It appears that Hudson’s Bay Co. got itself quite a deal when it purchased Saks Fifth Avenue in 2013 for the sum of $2.9 billion, including debt. Saks’s signature  Fifth Avenue flagship has recently been appraised at an whopping $3.65 billion—significantly more than Hudson’s Bay paid for the entire chain.  As much as anything, however, the appraisal reflects the strength of Manhattan’s retail real estate market.

With the recent announcement that it will build a new digital innovation lab in Boston, CVS Health has joined the ranks of retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores and Target Corp,  who have also launched similar facilities.  Not every retailer is in the position to build its own proprietary innovation hot house,  but there are many advantages for those with the resources to do so.  Following are three key reasons that retail innovation labs are a good idea.

New York – Ann Inc., the parent company of Ann Taylor and Loft, has named Katie J. Bayne to its board of directors. Bayne serves as senior VP, global sparkling brands at The Coca-Cola Company.

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has appointed Tom Horton, former chairman and CEO of American Airlines, as a new member of the company’s board, effective Nov. 21. Horton became the 16th member of the Board and will also serve as a member of the company’s Audit Committee.

Los Angeles – Online coupon/deals site Savings.com, is launching the PriceJump mobile application for iOS. The new app leverages real-time pricing data from more than 5,000 online retailers, local stores and Amazon.com to find shoppers the lowest price on any item they want to buy.