News

Black & Decker has unveiled four new cordless power tools and a variety of new combination kit solutions.

The products are described by the company as “powerful and durable home-improvement solutions at a value for cost-conscious homeowners.”

These cordless tools are powered by the Black & Decker extended runtime 20V MAX lithium ion battery, and include a 1/2 inch drill/driver, impact driver, reciprocating saw and circular saw.

Mystery Tackle Box is a monthly subscription service that introduces beginner and expert anglers to new fishing lures and tackle. The innovative e-commerce operation sends subscribers a box containing $15 worth of fishing products every month.

New York -- Amazon.com is the most popular U.S. online retail site when it comes to having web content shared on Pinterest, the pin-board style social network, in the run up to Christmas 2013. The findings come from a study by digital marketing software and services specialist Searchmetrics.

In a study of ten top U.S. retail sites, images and pages from Amazon.com are being shared most frequently on Pinterest, with Walmart and Apple taking second and third positions respectively.

Washington, D.C. – Retail sales in November increased a better-than-expected 0.7% seasonally-adjusted month-to-month, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. (The figure includes categories such as automobiles, gasoline stations, and restaurants.) Analysts were expecting sales to rise 0.6% in last month. The latest retail sales numbers were 4.7% above November 2012 numbers.

New York -- Ulta Beauty’s net income increased 19.1% to $45.4 million in the third quarter, amid strong sales of prestige cosmetics and skin care and strong online sales.

Sales for the quarter ended Oct. 27 rose 22.4% to $618.8 million. Same-store sales rose 6.8%, including the impact of e-commerce sales.

During the quarter, e-commerce sales grew 74.4%, representing 170 basis points of the total company same-store sales increase.

Dallas -- Alliance Data Systems, a leading provider of loyalty and marketing solutions derived from transaction-rich data, announced its retail services business, which manages more than 120 private label and co-brand credit programs, has signed a multi-year renewal agreement to continue providing private label credit card services for home decor and lifestyle retailer Z Gallerie.

The specialty retailer operates 58 stores located in 19 states, featuring an eclectic mix of upscale home furnishings and accessories.

Retailers usually measure 
the success of project spending by ROI, or "return on investment." ROI measures how many dollars you get back for every dollar you invest. This is a prudent and necessary way of justifying investment in things like IT systems, facilities and processes.

But not everything of value can be measured by simple dollars and cents. How do you measure the return on hope given to hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged children, both in the United States and around the world?

In a first-of-its-kind professional sports league shop-in-shop concept in a major retail chain, Dick’s Sporting Goods and the National Hockey League launched three NHL branded shops in Dick’s locations in Lombard, Ill., Cranberry Township, Pa., and West Nyack, N.Y.

The 400-sq.-ft. shops stock a variety of men’s, women’s and children’s lifestyle apparel, jerseys, headwear, outerwear and accessories featuring top NHL-licensed brands. The assortment includes authentic and lifestyle home team merchandise to cater to a wide range of fans.

Atlanta – The Home Depot reportedly plans to invest $300 million on technology and supply chain upgrades during its fiscal year 2014, which begins in February 2014. According to the Wall Street Journal, the results will include three new fulfillment centers in California, Atlanta and Ohio by 2016, as well as same-day delivery for some online orders.

Fremont, Calif. – Men’s Wearhouse reported declining net income during the third quarter of fiscal 2013 even as net sales improved. Net income dropped about 22%, from $48.8 million in the third quarter of the prior fiscal year to $38.2 million.