News

When it comes to buying online, customers have more choice than ever. The crowded space means that shoppers are being offered countless new ways to buy and utilizing new technology to make their purchases. More important, customers are altering how they shop and taking a closer look at who they’re buying from. Shopping experiences are less a cold cash transaction and more of a way to participate in an ethos or at the very least, to support a company that understands exactly what and how you like to purchase your items.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Genesco Inc., a specialty retailer which sells footwear, headwear, sports apparel and accessories, continues navigating through uncertain consumer environments as second quarter results fell short of expectations.

Seattle – Amazon.com has introduced the Mobile Associates API for Kindle Fire and other Android devices, enabling developers to sell physical and digital items from Amazon.com within their apps and games. Developers and members of the Amazon Associates program (the API is technically an extension of the program) can now sell a single item from within an app or game, showcase a category of goods, or bundle the purchase of physical goods with the purchase of digital goods.

The first OfficeMax Business Solutions Center arrived in Chicago on Wednesday following the small format store’s introduction earlier this year in Milwaukee.

HERSHEY, Pa. — The Hershey Company has selected Universal McCann to handle its global media planning and buying activities. 

Hershey’s global media assignment includes all paid media, including TV, print, digital and Hispanic for the U.S. business — the company’s largest — as well as Hershey’s growing international businesses.

Express delivered solid second quarter results, buoyed in part by e-commerce sales which once again experienced a double-digit increase.

Same-store sales increased 6%, up 1% from the year-ago quarter. Factoring into that same-store sales increase were the company’s e-commerce sales, which were$59.9 million, up 27% from last year’s $47.2 million.

Net sales for the quarter increased a better-than-expected 7% to $486.2 million, from $454.9 million. Net income rose 7% to $16.8 million from $15.9 million and was in line with Wall Street expectations. 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Zarbee's Naturals has elected Neil Grimmer, co-founder and CEO of Plum Organics, to the company's board of directors.

“Neil is a mastermind when it comes to developing ideas, products and brands, and we are thrilled that he is joining Zarbee's board of directors,” stated Zak Zarbock, founder of Zarbee's Naturals.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. -- The Wet Seal Inc. swung to a profit in the second quarter, reporting net income of $1 million, compared to a net loss of $12.4 million a year earlier. The retailer also announced it is introducing its Wet Seal Plus Collection, previously available only online, to 36 stores, on Aug. 30.

In addition, net sales totaled $137.2 million, up about 1% from $135.3 million in the second quarter of 2012. Same store sales grew 3.7%, while e-commerce sales remained flat. Overall results were in line with Zack’s consensus estimates.