News

Paris – Valentine’s Day has its origins in ancient Roman times, but that doesn’t mean the holiday isn’t keeping pace with modern technology. By analyzing data from 48 million online transactions made via desktop, smartphones and tablets from more than 200 U.S. retailers, advertising company Criteo determined that three out of 10 Valentine’s Day purchases will be made on mobile.

The CVS Health Foundation is making a $5 million five-year commitment to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to launch a new grant program.

Through the “Making the Next Generation Tobacco-Free” program, the CVS Health Foundation will partner with Tobacco-Free Kids to provide grants to organizations committed to implementing public health strategies to reduce youth tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke.

Austin, Texas – The husband or boyfriend who forgets to buy Valentines flowers until late in the day Feb. 14 now has a safeguard. Whole Foods Market and the Instacart grocery delivery app are offering Valentine’s flowers delivered in as little as one hour across 15 major U.S. metros.

Coach Inc. has added a luxury retail veteran to its board of directors.

“We are extremely pleased that Andrea Guerra has agreed to join our board,” said Victor Luis, CEO at Coach Inc. “As Coach continues its transformation into a modern luxury lifestyle brand, Andrea's extensive exposure to a wide variety of best-in-class brands and his broad retail and international experience will prove valuable to our team."

It's official: The long-struggling RadioShack has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The 94-year-old retailer made its filing in  U.S.

Port Washington, N.Y. – Office and school supplies generally do not have any issues with fit or texture, making them an ideal e-commerce item. Data from the NPD Group backs this assertion up.

Retail spending on office and school supplies grew 1% in 2014 (52 weeks ending January 3, 2015) compared to 2013, with e-commerce serving as the push behind the increase. The e-commerce channel crossed the billion-dollar threshold for the first time, reaching $1.1 billion in sales, and was the only channel to experience growth across all categories.

The introduction later this month of an exclusive new beauty brand backed by a high profile celebrity is seen broadening Walgreens' appeal with a key shopper segment.

Walgreens has teamed up with actress Eva Mendes and beauty company Maesa to launch a multi-cultural beauty brand called Circa. The nationwide launch supports Walgreens' desire to increase accessibility to well-priced, diverse, specialty beauty offerings and reflects its commitment to owned brands.

San Diego – Early results of 2015 suggest it will be a happy New Year indeed for PriceSmart Inc. For the month of January 2015, net sales increased 13.3% to $219.2 million from $193.5 million in January a year earlier.

The retailer’s growth to 36 warehouse stores from 32 a year earlier helped boost sales. In addition, same-store warehouse sales grew 1.7%.