News

Lowe's to give makeovers to "10 Bleakest Cities of 2015"
New York -- Lowe’s is looking to put smile on the face of residents who live in the 10 U.S. cities hardest hit by this past winter by giving the areas a makeover. Lowe's said it will deploy Lowe’s "Heroes," or employee volunteers, to visit the "10 Bleakest Cities of 2015" to complete makeover projects that have been neglected or delayed because of extreme winter conditions. Volunteers will complete projects such as painting, landscaping, creating outdoor rooms and adding curb appeal throughout the spring season.
Amazon says, 'skip trip to store'
The national rollout of Amazon.com's one-hour delivery service has begun with the addition of two major east coast urban areas.

Walmart to hold domestic sourcing event

New York -- Cindi Marsiglio, VP of U.S.manufacturing for Walmart, shared new details about the company's first-of-its-kind event, which is designed to advance the retailer’s $250 billion domestic sourcing agenda. The event is planned for early July in Bentonville, Arkansas.

During a fast-paced presentation Thursday morning organized by a group called Doing Business in Bentonville, Marsiglio shared wide-ranging insights regarding the company’s 10 year, $250 billion domestic sourcing commitment unveiled in January 2013.
Report: Target to pay $10 million in data breach class action

New York -- Target Corp. has agreed to pay $10 million in a proposed settlement of a class-action suit related to the company’s 2013 data breach, according to court documents filed Wednesday. The retailer confirmed the news in a CBS News report.

“We are pleased to see the process moving forward and look forward to its resolution," Target spokesperson Molly Snyder told CBS News late Wednesday.
Survey: No signs of an e-commerce slowdown

Digital commerce continued its meteoric rise in the fourth quarter, according to the Shopping Index by Demandware.

The index, which measures digital commerce growth across two key attributes -- shopping attraction and shopper spend -- reveals that shopper attraction, which measures the number of shoppers, was up 25% in the fourth quarter 2014 over the fourth quarter last year and drove 81% of the digital commerce growth.
Facebook makes foray into payments

Facebook has become the latest tech powerhouse to get into the payments game by adding a feature to its Messenger app that lets users send money the same way they would a send text.

The news follows similar moves by Apple, Samsung and Google, all of whom announced new payment offerings over the past few months.
Guess Q4 profit falls 23% but beats Street; online sales jump 37%

Los Angeles -- Guess reported a better-than-expected fourth quarter profit amid a 37% jump in the company’s online business and falling expenses. The apparel retailer, however, forecast a disappointing 2015, primarily due to the stronger U.S. dollar (1,190 of Guess’1,668 stores are located outside the United States and about 45% of its revenue comes from international markets).

Guess income fell to $53.9 million for the fourth quarter, ended Jan. 31, from $69.6 million a year earlier.
Study: App security remains risky

Armonk, N.Y. – Mobile app use continues growing rapidly, but businesses are not keeping pace with security. According to new research from IBM and Ponemon Institute, nearly 40% of more than 400 large companies studied, including many in the Fortune 500, aren’t taking the right precautions to secure the mobile apps they build for customers.
Report: Toys 'R' Us shutting down in Times Square

Time may be running out for Toys "R" Us shoppers to ride the Ferris wheel at the retailer's flagship store in Time Square.

Toys "R" Us will not be renewing the lease of its Manhattan flagship, according to various reports. The lease for the massive 110,000-sq.-ft. retail space, at 1514 -1530 Broadway, between 44th and 45th Streets, is set to expire at the end of January.
Amazon expands one-hour delivery service to Baltimore, Miami

Seattle – Amazon.com is upping the competition with brick-and-mortar stores by expanding its one-hour Prime Now delivery service to Baltimore and Miami. The service, which was previously available only in Manhattan, offers one-hour delivery on tens of thousands of items through a mobile app.