News

Leading online cash back shopping platform Ebates has acquired Extrabux, a free comparison-shopping website where consumers discover the best prices, find coupons and earn cash back on their online purchases.

As a result, the two companies have a growing membership base in China and have launched Ebates.cn.

Lands' End will be back on its own as a publicly traded company following a formal announcement by parent company Sears Holdings to spin off the well-known apparel brand.

The move follows years of speculation that Sears would divest the brand, which it acquired in May 2002 for $62 a share. At the time, Lands' End was a publicly traded company with revenues of nearly $1.6 billion, profits of $67 million and earnings per share of $2.23. The $62 a share Sears paid 12 years ago represented a 21.5% premium over the closing pricing of $51.02 prior to the announcement of the deal.

Kronos Foods, a privately held, leading manufacturer of gyros and other Mediterranean and specialty foods, has named Howard Eirinberg as the company's CEO.

Eirinberg, who succeeds long-time CEO Michael Austin, now chairman of Kronos Food, joined the company in 2011 to lead all sales and marketing initiatives for the company's wide-ranging operations in meat, bakery, dairy, dessert, restaurant and distribution. Eirinberg is credited for growing sales by launching new products like chicken shawarma into the club and foodservice channels.

Retailers are not giving shoppers the omnichannel experience they desire, according to new research from Accenture and Hybris, creating a huge opportunity for those able to successfully execute against elevated digital expectations.

Jessica Simpson’s plus-size swimwear line is now available at Swimsuitsforall, a leading online retailer for women's swimwear.

The collection features tankinis, swimdresses and plus-size bikinis, including high-waisted bottoms paired with bandeau/halter bikini tops.

Recently, Swimsuitsforall debuted their Designer Boutique swimwear collection, featuring MICHAEL Michael Kors, Anne Cole, Becca ETC, Kenneth Cole Reaction, La Blanca, Carmen Marc Valvo, Badgley Mischka and Jessica Simpson.

 

Land of Nod was founded 18 years ago as an online retailer of furniture, décor and bedding for infants and kids but has since become an omnichannel operator with an upscale brand.
 
The company currently operates five stores in California, Illinois and Seattle. Managing director Michelle Kohanzo shared some perspective on what it’s like to work at an omnichannel retailer in the latest installment of This Is Retail from the National Retailer Federation.

Foodland Super Market, Hawaii's largest locally owned and operated grocery retailer, recently launched a mobile app for both iPhone and Android. The app, built in partnership with mobile commerce provider DoubleBeam, was rolled out Jan. 29 and has seen a tremendous customer response with more than 19,000 downloads in the first three weeks.

The Hain Celestial Group introduced Garden of Eatin' Butternut Squash Corn Tortilla Chips. The gluten-free snack features a combination of butternut squash and organic yellow corn.

Advantage Sales & Marketing (ASM) has acquired San Antonio, Texas-based Longhorn Food Brokers to strengthen its fresh food focus in the Lone Star state.

“The addition of Longhorn will provide complimentary resources and broader support for our clients and customers in the fresh category,” said Tanya Domier, Advantage Sales & Marketing CEO. “The Longhorn acquisition continues our strategy of building a national footprint for perishable-focused retail and headquarter services by partnering with the regional leaders in these categories.”

Dutch physicist Niels Bohr wasn’t talking about the retail industry when he said, “prediction is very difficult, especially about the future,” but the comment couldn’t be more relevant given the volatility facing the retail industry.

The idea of customer purchases being limited to brick-and-mortar stores faded long ago. Digital technologies, such as the Internet and mobile devices, and evolving shopping channels have made it difficult to distinguish what is and is not a “store.”