News

Survey: More than half of U.S. consumers will shop online for holidays
Washington, D.C. –- More than half of U.S. consumers plan to make at least some of their holiday purchases online this year.
Lumber Liquidators Q3 misses, plans three stores
Toano, Va. –- Lumber Liquidators missed Wall Street estimates for both net income and sales for the third quarter of fiscal 2014. Net income totaled $15.7 million, down 23% from $20.4 million in the year ago period, amid higher expenses. Net sales rose 5% to $266.1 million from $254.3 million. Same-store sales dropped 4.9%, although they improved each month in the quarter as more inventory became available.

QVC names executive VP of commerce platforms

West Chester, Penn. –- QVC Inc. has promoted Mary Campbell to the position of executive VP, US commerce platforms. Sheis responsible for guiding the strategic direction of the company's TV, web, mobile, tablet and social while translating the QVC brand across all platforms to drive customer engagement and e-commerce sales. Since joining QVC in 1991, Campbell has held leadership roles across the business, including merchandising, planning and commerce platforms.
Yahoo beats Street with help from Alibaba, mobile

Sunnyvale, Calif. –- Strong mobile revenue and proceeds from the sale of a portion of its stake in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. helped Yahoo Inc. beat Wall Street estimates for earnings per share (EPS) and revenue in the third quarter of fiscal 2014. EPS totaled $0.52, up 62% from $0.32 the same quarter the prior fiscal year, and revenue grew 1% to $1.15 billion from $1.14 billion.
Toshiba to resell Motorola retail solutions

Irvine, Calif. -- Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions will resell Motorola retail solutions including mobile computers, wireless network solutions, bar code scanners and the MP6000 multi-plane bioptic imager and accessories. Toshiba has signed Motorola Solutions’ Global Systems Integrator Agreement and is now a member of Motorola's PartnerEmpower program.
RetailNext releases RetailNext 5.1

San Jose, Calif. -- RetailNext is releasing the latest version of its in-store analytics platform, RetailNext 5.1. New features in RetailNext 5.1 are multiple video stream export, Micros XBR integration, Japanese-language support for user interface and reports, appliance security improvements, and more.
VenueLabs launches free social listening tool

Seattle –- VenueLabs is launching a free social listening tool geared for small businesses called AboutLocal. AboutLocal lets small retailers listen to and engage with customers in real time across hundreds of disparate channels.
Report: Wal-Mart centralizes IT approach

Santa Clara, Calif. –- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is reportedly developing a new centralized approach to how it prioritizes and executes IT projects. According to the Wall Street Journal, Wal-Mart will now consolidate all IT projects into a single portfolio overseen by CIO Karenann Terrell.
Target’s holiday plans include free online shipping, new apps and pop-up store

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. on Wednesday fired the first retail salvo of the holiday season, announcing that, for the first time ever, it is offering free shipping on all online purchases—no matter the amount—from Oct. 22 through Dec. 20. The free shipping offer comes early in the holiday shopping timeline, reflecting retailers’ concerns about what is expected to be a highly promotional season.
Palladin Consumer Retail Partners takes major investment in Harrys of London

Boston -- Palladin Consumer Retail Partners announced a majority investment in Harrys of London, a London-based luxury shoemaker and accessories house known for combining traditional craftsmanship with the latest footwear technology. The Palladin investment will provide Harrys with capital to expand its operating team, open additional retail stores and invest in new initiatives to fund growth including marketing, merchandising, product development, and e/m-commerce.
Disrupting the Downturn — Avoiding the Lost Sale

By Farla Efros, HRC Advisory
Commentary: Chip-and-PIN Increases Cybersecurity

By Sandy Kennedy, president of RILA  (Editor’s note: The president of the Retail Industry Leaders Association, Sandy Kennedy, wrote the following op-ed in The Hill, discussing why chip-and-PIN is one important layer of protection retailers, banks and the government can provide consumers.)