News

Schurman Retail Group, owners of Papyrus North America, unveiled its newest concept, Niquea D., on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The store features women’s jewelry and accessories, clothing, scents, home décor, and paper and gift products.  

With a mix of antique furniture, one-of-a-kind chandeliers, and hand-painted rich blue damask walls, the 900-sq.-ft. space has the feel and look of a Parisian boutique. A second Manhattan location is scheduled to open later this fall, downtown on Hudson Street

Connect Address, a leading provider of cloud-based solutions for increasing online shopping cart conversions in real-time, has named Tom Flynn as the company's CEO.

"I am excited and pleased to be working with such a forward-thinking team and product," said Flynn. "Most companies in our space address shopping cart abandonment with basic retroactive tools. Connect Address delivers software and solutions to improve clients' social media presence, increase Web traffic and convert online shopping carts in real-time."

Walgreens has fine-tuned its management structure, most notably elevating Jim Jensen to VP daily living implementation and space planning, where he will be looking at maximizing merchandising initiatives against space optimization in the stores.

Moe Alkemade will assume the role of general merchandise manager handling seasonal, sundries and consumables. Beth Stiller has been named group VP retail brands and global sourcing.

All appointments are effective Nov. 4.

The Halston brand is going digital with the launch of its flagship e-commerce site in more than 80 countries today, including the U.S. and Canada. The vertical e-commerce site will feature Halston Heritage apparel and accessories.

The brand is also expanding its physical presence, with plans to expand to more than 20 locations by yearend.

Foster City, Calif. – Consumers are spending more money via digital commerce than ever before. According to a new survey from Visa and GfK Research, “The Way We Pay,” more than half of respondents are more comfortable spending money online today than five years ago. The data shows that consumers are spending more than they ever have – exceeding $1 billion per day on the Visa network in 188 days since January.

Virtual Piggy has become a Demandware LINK Technology Partner. Through the LINK Technology Partner Program, Virtual Piggy has developed a pre-built integration between Virtual Piggy and Demandware Commerce, making it possible for Demandware clients to implement its safe youth commerce solution in a fraction of the time normally required.

Monroe, Mich. – La-Z-Boy Inc. intends to acquire two La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries stores located in the Youngstown, Ohio, market, with combined revenue of approximately $6.5 million. The stores are located in Boardman and Howland, Ohio, and are owned and operated by independent dealers who are retiring.  

Retail design and brand strategy firm Interbrand Design Forum has added nine new associates as business continues to grow with key retail and manufacturing clients.
 
Allen McCormick has been named executive director, overseeing relationships with key client partners. Becky Lau was hired as senior consultant, strategy and analytics. Aaron Stancik is also new to the Strategy & Analytics group where he will serve as a senior consultant working on projects for Michael Hill and FedEx.