All North America articles – Page 35
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Opinion
M&A climate poised for improvement
Private equity needs to go shopping in 2012, and global M&A activity will continue despite market volatility.
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Analysis
Sears reveals up to 120 store closures in the US
Last week, US department store and general merchandise group Sears Holdings disclosed plans to close 100 to 120 Kmart and full-line Sears stores.
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News
Dollar Tree introduces transactional mobile-optimised website
Discounter Dollar Tree has introduced a transactional mobile-optimised website powered by Usablenet.The new site allows users to search for a specific item by keyword, product number or category and features a store locator.It also leverages social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, enabling Dollar Tree to build its brand awareness ...
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News
Demandtec strikes merger agreement with IBM
Walmart’s vendor of price optimisation software Demandtec has struck a merger agreement with IBM worth $440m (£281.6m).Demandtec’s cloud-based analytics solution helps retailers to adjust pricing according to customer buying patterns. Demandtec serves about 450 clients worldwide, including some of the biggest names in retail such as Casino, Ahold, Delhaize and ...
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Analysis
Gap has its sights set on Europe for future growth
US clothing retailer Gap is confident it can weather the fallout from Europe’s sovereign debt crisis.
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Analysis
Amazon’s Price Check app: What do retailers need to know?
Amazon’s app has provoked controversy in the US, where retailers fear becoming showrooms for the etailer.
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News
Amazon introduces e-book fund
Amazon has introduced a $6m (£3.85m) fund under the Kindle Direct Publishing Select scheme for authors who make their e-books exclusive to Amazon Kindle for at least 90 days.The etailer expects to pay authors from the pot when their books are borrowed under the Kindle Lending Library, which is part ...
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News
Saks Fifth Avenue relaunches SaksPOV website
Upmarket department store group Saks Fifth Avenue has relaunched the SaksPOV website after five months of development.SaksPOV offers shoppers insight on fashion, culture and art and includes multimedia content, Saks brand coverage and lifestyle pieces. Saks Direct chief marketing officer and president Denise Incandela said: “We will use SaksPOV as ...
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News
Retailers pilot Google’s new indoor mapping function
Ikea, Macy’s and Home Depot are piloting Google’s new indoor mapping functionality to help shoppers find products in stores. Shoppers with Android smartphones will be able to use the tool, which forms part of the newly released Google Maps 6.0. The functionality works like Google’s outside mapping service and can ...
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News
Toys R Us introduces QR codes to showcase best-sellers
Toys R Us has introduced QR codes to billboards in the New York metro area to encourage mobile shopping. Commuters and travellers will be able to use their mobile phones to scan codes on posters located at airports and 40 transit stations, which showcase some of the retailer’s best-selling items.Toys ...
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News
Zulily recruits Kirby ahead of UK launch
US online private Sales site Zulily is to launch in the UK and has hired former Monsoon digital chief Kristine Kirby to head the operation.
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News
Barnes & Noble narrows net loss
Bookseller Barnes & Noble narrowed its net loss from $12.6m (£8m) to $6.6m (£4.2m) for its second quarter ended October 29. Sales dropped 0.6% to $1.89bn (£1.21bn), with a decline in physical book sales offset by growth for its Nook product family. The retailer said that its Nook tablet has ...
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News
Walmart introduces first social shopping app
Walmart has introduced the first social shopping app from its recently formed @WalmartLabs division. Known as Shopycat, the tool allows Facebook users to find gifts for friends and family based on the interests posted on their profiles. It then recommends items from Walmart’s stores, Walmart.com and other sites including RedEnvelope, ...
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News
Foot Locker reports net income increase
Foot Locker reported that net income for the third quarter ended October 29 was $66m (£42m), up from $52m (£33m) for same period last year. Net sales were $1.39bn (£892m) compared with $1.28bn (£822m).Foot Locker chairman and chief executive Ken Hicks said: “I am pleased to report our seventh consecutive ...
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News
Collective Brands reports net loss
Collective Brands reported a net loss of $114.3m (£73.4m) in its third quarter. Net sales were $894.4m (£574.2m), up 1.4% compared with the previous year. At Payless in the US, like-for-likes declined 3.7% while quarterly operating profit was $15.4m (£9.9m) compared with $68.8m (£44.2m) in 2010. Payless International net sales ...
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News
Net sales increase for Walmart
Walmart disclosed that net sales in its third quarter rose 8.2% to $109.5bn (£70bn). Operating income grew by 4.8% to $5.9bn (£3.77bn). Net sales at Walmart US increased 2.7% to $63.8bn (£41bn) while like-for-likes turned positive after nine consecutive quarters of declines. Meanwhile, Walmart International reported that net sales on ...
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News
Dollar Tree reports net sales increase
Discounter Dollar Tree has reported an 11.9% rise in consolidated net sales to $1.6bn (£1.02bn) for the third quarter ended October 30. Like-for-like sales increased 4.8%, following an 8.7% improvement for the third quarter in 2010. During the period, the retailer opened 98 stores, closed five and expanded or relocated ...
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News
Net income rise for Abercrombie & Fitch
Clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch’s third-quarter results showed net income rose by 2% to $50.9m (£32.5m) while revenue soared 22% to $1.08bn (£690.3m). Revenue from stores open at least one year climbed 7%, including gains of 4% at Abercrombie & Fitch, 6% at Abercrombie Kids and 8% at Hollister. The ...
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News
Arcadia takes margin hit as it shoulders VAT rise
Topshop-owner takes heart from young fashion, online and overseas despite fall in profits
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Analysis
Office specialists seek to reinvent themselves
Few retail channels have suffered as much in recent years (well, possibly with the exception of the entertainment players focused on music and books) as the office specialists.