News

IBM and Apple announced a strategic partnership earlier this year that promises to transform enterprise mobility through a new class of business apps. The companies plan to leverage their respective strengths in technology, business intelligence and user experience to create solutions that address some of the retail industry’s most pressing challenges. To better understand what that means, Retailing Today spoke with Jill Puleri, VP and global retail industry leader for IBM Global Business Services.

Charlotte-based Belk has teamed up with Project Runway season 12 winner Dom Streater. The exclusive collection designed by Streater, "Dom," offers classic, premium designs in modern prints and is now available in 30 Belk locations, including belk.com.

Foot Locker has enlisted crowdsourced delivery service Deliv so it can offer online customers same-day delivery.

Deliv's Application Programming Interface (API) connects directly to Footlocker’s website, allowing shoppers to select same-day or next day delivery for $5.

Ulta Beauty reported a 22.2% boost in second-quarter new sales and drove its best comps since the secondquarter 2012 thanks in large part to successful new products and brands as well as growth in e-commerce. Meanwhile, the beauty retailer continues to forge ahead on its new strategic plan.

Hudson's Bay Company is reaping the rewards of its acquisition last year of Saks. The company’s retail sales soared 86.6% to $1.8 billion, from $948 million in the prior year.

Consolidated same-store sales increased by 1.9% on a local currency basis, with increases of 1.1% at HBC’s department store group (DSG), 2.2% at Saks Fifth Avenue and 14.9% at Off 5th. Digital commerce sales totaled $162 million, including $116 million from Saks and growth of 82.2% at DSG.

L'Oréal USA's seventh annual "Fore the Children" charity event to benefit Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation attracted more than 850 people and raised $625,000, bringing the total amount raised by L'Oreal USA since 2008 to $3.2 million.

Overall retail spending growth in August 2014 was the strongest in more than a year, according to the First Data SpendTrend report.

Retail dollar volume growth reached 2.8% in August — compared to 2.6% in July — as back-to-school shopping propelled spending growth in several retail categories.

The Hain Celestial Group, a leading organic and natural products company, and NBA center for the Dallas Mavericks Tyson Chandler have teamed up to digitally publish Tyson's Pro Tips, an insider's guide to improve athletic performance.

Written for young athletes, their coaches, parents and caregivers, the 21 pro tips in Tyson's Pro Tips offer nutrition, fitness and personal care advice designed to help established players and emerging stars achieve their goals in a healthy and positive way, the brand said.

Anheuser-Busch has teamed up with Gratafy to launch a mobile gifting pilot on Facebook designed to enable real-time connections between the beer brand and its customers.

A series of Anheuser-Busch campaigns will target consumers nationwide in their Facebook News Feeds, giving them the ability to send friends a Budweiser (budweiser.com/budsforbuds) or Bud Light (budlight.com/birthday) in select cities, beginning with Chicago and Denver.

Carle Place, N.Y. — 1-800-Flowers.com net income jumped to $3.1 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 compared to $538,000 in the previous year period. Continued focus on leveraging its operating platform helped boost net income.