News

The retail world is seeing significant shifts in consumer expectations and behaviors. Today’s online shoppers have higher expectations than ever before.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As Meijer continues its expansion agenda, with plans to open nine new stores and hire 9,000 employees, it has also expanded its mPerks digital coupon program. 

NEW YORK — Brooks Brothers has named Vivien Kronengold as the company’s EVP and chief marketing officer, a newly created position. 

Kronengold will be responsible for leading the company’s global marketing strategy and will oversee all areas of marketing communications, including brand advertising, creative, digital and social media, direct, visual merchandising, public relations and events.

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. — Newegg Inc., a leading electronics-focused e-retailer, is getting set to open its first-ever popup store from August 16-18 in The Oaks shopping center in Thousand Oaks, Calif. 

Newegg's exclusive store event will feature more than 70 products for showrooming, including Intel-inspired Ultrabooks, 4th generation Intel Core i7 laptops, Sony VAIO laptops, tablets, digital cameras and wireless speakers, Samsung tablets and solid-state drives and WD hard drives and personal cloud storage devices.

Ikea uses sustainability to drive innovation and shape investments. The company’s latest investment involves a 7.65 megawatt Carrickeeny wind farm, which it plans to purchase from global wind and solar company Mainstream Renewable Power. 

Mainstream has started construction on the project, which is located in Leitrim in the northwest of Ireland and is expected to be operational in early 2014. As part of the deal, Mainstream will operate and maintain the wind farm on behalf of Ikea for its 20-year lifespan.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Belk Bowl today announced that they have finalized a deal that will bring an SEC team to the Belk Bowl beginning in 2014. The agreement extends for six years.

"We are thrilled to have the SEC as a partner for the Belk Bowl. We look forward to bringing the best of college football to Charlotte," said Tim Belk, Belk's chairman and CEO.

LOS ALTOS, Calif. — Catalog Spree, a personal digital mall that lets consumers browse and shop their favorite catalogs, has expanded the men’s section of its mobile app to include lookbooks featuring Kenneth Cole, Original Penguin, Perry Ellis and Thomas Pink. 

NEW YORK, N.Y. — Coupon Express, Inc. has appointed Glenn Gardone as its CEO and chairman of the board.

Gardone is a consumer packaged goods sales and marketing executive with more than 20 years of experience working in all retail and wholesale channels throughout North America. Prior to joining Coupon Express, he worked at PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Kellogg and Del Monte. 

Advance Auto Parts announced plans to open its 4,000th store on Friday, one day after reporting disappointing sales at its 3,999 locations.

Total sales for the second quarter increased 6.1% to $1.55 billion due largely to the addition of 175 new locations. However, same store sales declined 0.3% on top of a prior year decline of 2.7%.

Reston, Va. -- Desktop-based e-commerce sales totaled $49.8 billion in the U.S. during the second quarter of this year. According to a new report from comScore, this represents an almost 16% increase from about $43.1 billion in the second quarter of the previous year.

This also marks the 15th consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth and 11th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. Mobile commerce spending rose by $4.7 billion, or 24%, during the quarter. Other highlights of comScore’s data include: