News

Sikeston, Mo. -- Do it Best Corp. has broke ground in Sikeston, Mo., at the site of what will be the co-op’s newest and most technologically advanced distribution center.

In addition to increased size, the new center will feature a number of new technological advances and initiatives, including a new voice pick system, which has virtually eliminated order filling errors and will help maximize workflow.

By Dr. Gary Edwards, Empathica

Recently, online fashion retailer Piperlime announced plans to open its first brick-and-mortar location in New York City. For many, the announcement seemed to fly in the face of conventional wisdom given the competitive pricing and other advantages e-commerce providers have over traditional retailers.

Why would a successful e-tailer like Piperlime want to take on the additional cost and headaches associated with a physical store?

London -- Hong Kong is the world’s most expensive retail destination, with retail rents at $3,864 per square foot, according to the quarterly rankings of global retail rents from global property advisor CBRE Group. CBRE cited the city’s significant inbound tourist traffic and continued increases in domestic wealth as fueling demand from international fashion and luxury retailers.
 

Target has come up with some clever buzz-building brand activities over the years and a new initiative underway in Seattle is no exception.

WAYNE, N.J. — FAO Schwarz, in honor of its 150th anniversary, has unveiled a walk-around gallery dedicated to Steiff, one of the most renowned European brands, whose signature products have been offered at FAO Schwarz for more than 100 years. "A Gallery of Classic Steiff Collectibles," is displayed prominently throughout the famed flagship location in New York City. The museum quality exhibit will run through early September and can be viewed online at FAO.com.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Eddie Bauer is engaging the software services of ChannelAdvisor to broaden online visibility and simplify the selling process on shopping engines, ChannelAdvisor anounced. Specifically, Eddie Bauer is using Managed Marketplaces and Managed Comparison Shopping solutions.

Yikes! After a monstrous earnings miss, Supervalu suspended its earnings guidance and dividend and said it was exploring strategic alternatives.

SEATTLE — Amazon.com is growing its presence in the highly competitive gaming market with the launch of Game Connect, a new service that enables customers to discover a new category of free-to-play and multiplayer online digital games and have virtual goods delivered directly to their game accounts.

Amazon's new service allows customers to link their game account to their Amazon account so any subscriptions and virtual goods purchased are sent directly into the game without copy and pasting a code.

Retailers scaled back on their promotional efforts in June this year when compared to last year—there were decreases in the number of circulars released by the majority of retailers, as well as a decrease in  the number of pages per circular.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Heineken USA announced that it has brought Indio, a dark beer that has been sold in Mexico since 1893 to the United States. The beer is now available in 6-pack and 12-packs at locations throughout Chicago,Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.