News

Office Depot seeks Staples vote June 19
Boca Raton, Fla. – Office Depot is seeking a shareholder vote on its proposed $6.3 billion merger with Staples Inc. at its annual meeting on June 19. According to a statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Office Depot is requesting that shareholders approve the proposed acquisition by Staples.

In addition to approval by Office Depot shareholders, the agreement also needs to be approved by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). With all approvals in place, the deal would finalize by the end of 2015.
Accenture acquisition to expand digital consulting capabilities
Retailers are poised to benefit from a new deal between Accenture and Javelin Group, a UK-based retail strategy consulting and digital transformation services provider.

The acquisition will expand the capabilities of Accenture Strategy to help the world’s leading retailers and consumer brands accelerate their digital transformation. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, and completion of the acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions.

Tech Guest Viewpoint: Physical Security Elevates Customer Experience

By Steve Sell, Director of Marketing, Retail, Tyco Integrated Security

The shift towards an omnichannel retail environment is no longer a theory; it’s a reality that customers are expecting higher levels of customer experience and savvy retailers are responding to as fast as they can. As the lines between brick-and-mortar, online and mobile shopping continue to blur, retailers must deliver an exceptional customer experience across all channels.
RH to build largest U.S. store in Las Vegas

The retailer formerly known as Restoration Hardware has hired a chief real estate officer to lead the latest installment of its evolution into a "design gallery": a 70,000-square-foot store in Las Vegas.
Dover Saddlery net loss grows in Q1; will open five to seven stores

Littleton, Mass. – Dover Saddlery Inc. experienced an increase in net loss during the first quarter of fiscal 2015, seeing it jump to $776,000 from $543,000 the same quarter a year earlier. Total revenues rose 16% to $22.8 million from $19.7 million, and same-store sales rose 3%.
Report: Google will take on Amazon, eBay with ‘buy’ button

Mountain View, Calif. – Google Inc. is reportedly planning to start providing users with “Buy” buttons in their search results within the next few weeks. According to the Wall Street Journal, Google will initially offer the buttons on mobile search results.
Walgreens supports local assortments with JDA

Deerfield, Ill. – Walgreens provides localized offerings in its new and remodeled store formats. To support this effort, Walgreens has implemented JDA Software’s Category Management solution.

Walgreens can now analyze the existing performance of a planogram, using the data to answer key questions about why a category is behaving in a certain way. Planogram data is shared into all parts of the organization, including but not limited to the e-commerce, pricing, markdown, and operations teams.
Report: Google to roll out 'Buy' buttons

Google Inc. is reportedly planning to start providing users with “Buy” buttons in their search results within the next few weeks.
Report: Candie’s uses Instagram as marketing springboard

Valhalla, N.Y. – Footwear brand Candie’s Inc., which is exclusively sold through Kohl’s in the U.S., is reportedly focusing on Instagram as a key platform for its spring/summer marketing campaign. According to MediaPost, Candies will post images of fashion blogger Shea Marie on Instagram.
Urban Outfitters misses on profit, sales in Q1

Philadelphia – Urban Outfitters Inc. missed Wall Street expectations for net income, sales and same-store sales during the first quarter of fiscal 2015. Net income fell 12% to $32.78 millio,n from $37.48 million the same quarter a year earlier.

Lower margins and higher delivery and fulfillment expense helped drive down net income. Sales reached a record high of $739 million, up 8% from $686.31 million, but still fell short of Wall Street expectations. Same-store sales rose 4%.