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Build-A-Bear Workshop announced that it's introducing a newly imagined store design in six markets across the U.S. in 2012. The new store design, which has been over two years in the making, merges the Build-A-Bear Workshop's hands-on bear-making process with technology to enhance the customer experience. “I'm very excited about the enhanced features that will allow us to continue to lead in the interactive retail space,” said Maxine Clark, founder and chief executive bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop.

SAN DIEGO — UPS has named Tim Davis president of The UPS Store franchise network. Davis has served as VP operations for The UPS Store network since 2009 after joining the company in 2002 as VP technology. During this time, he also held the position of VP, general manager of iShip Inc., a UPS subsidiary. He has been responsible for the development and implementation of a variety of new technologies to better meet the needs of customers; the introduction of a new strategy to help grow print services for franchisees, and programs designed to drive operational excellence within The

Unhindered by federal background checks or government oversight, the 24-year-old man accused of killing a dozen people inside a Colorado movie theater was able to build what police called a 6,000-round arsenal legally and easily over the internet, exploiting what critics call a virtual absence of any laws regulating ammunition sales. With a few keystrokes, the suspect, James E. Holmes, ordered 3,000 rounds of handgun ammunition, 3,000 rounds for an assault rifle and 350 shells for a 12-gauge shotgun — an amount of firepower that costs roughly $3,000 at the online sites in the four months before the shooting.

Columbus, Ohio-based Express Inc. will open two flagship locations in San Francisco’s Union Square and New York’s Times Square in 2013. The 16,000-sq.-ft. Union Square store is scheduled to open next summer, and will feature two floors and a mezzanine. The 30,000-sq.-ft. Times Square store is scheduled to open in the fall and will feature three selling floors. Both locations will boast a new look developed by Japanese design firm Wonderwall. The design will feature modern industrial fixtures, glossy white walls and concrete floors that create an open, expansive space accented with aged-oak wood floors.  SAVE | EMAIL |

J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson is going all in with his bid to remake the customer experience at the century-old department store retailer. A mobile point-of-sale deployment beginning this fall is just the first step in an ambitious plan involving storewide use of RFID to eliminate traditional cash wrap stations, allowing anywhere, anytime checkout, including self-checkout, by 2014. "J.C. Penney will be moving to a 100 percent [item-level] RFID implementation by Feb. 1, 2013," said Johnson, speaking last week at the Fortune magazine Brainstorm conference in Aspen, CO. "We'll be doing something that no other retailer has done completely." 

Based on the e-tailing group's audit of 168 metrics on 50 mobile sites, the mobile shopping experience has shown strong improvements in overall efficiency of the experience with more consistent cross-channel branding and evolved merchandising, coupled with a proliferation of promotional tactics. A more direct connection between the mobile consumer and their closest store location facilitates shopping the consumer's way.

Richardson, Texas -- Fossil Inc. on Tuesday announced two additions and a promotion among its executive ranks. Tom Kennedy was promoted to executive VP, from senior VP in the company’s retail division. In his new role, Kennedy will be responsible for the Fossil brand, including all product development and creative aspects. Edward J. Robben joined the company as senior VP and chief information officer, and Joanne Calabrese joined as senior VP retail merchandising. Before Fossil, Robben served as chief information officer and board member for J.C. Penney Co. Calabrese was previously with JCR Consulting, a retail consulting firm based

Fort Worth, Texas -- RadioShack Corp. reported Wednesday its worst quarter since 1996, posting a loss of $21 million in the second quarter compared with a profit of $24.9 million in the same quarter last year. Sales inched up 1.2% to $953.2 million in the quarter, missing Wall Street’s forecasted $970.4 million in revenue, and same-store sales were flat. Analysts say the electronics retailer has made a tactical error in placing its bets on selling tablets and smartphones, which ramped up selling costs some 16% in the second quarter. RadioShack said Wednesday it would not pay a dividend –

Woman Within has launched CatView To get started, mobile users can simply download the latest iPhone application for Woman Within� (which is free!) and launch the CatView feature, which will utilize the device?s camera like a scanner. With the CatView feature running, the user can ?scan? fashion items in the Woman Within� Catalog, and in real time, it will display additional information such as product ratings, promotional alerts, product details, etc. on the iPhone screen. In short, it creates an improved online experience, making shopping via a mobile device more fun and interactive. The CatView feature was developed for

Wal-Mart announced it's opposed to the proposed settlement of a civil antitrust lawsuit against Visa, MasterCard and their card-issuing banks. “Wal-Mart, along with a growing number of consumer groups and merchants, is disappointed in the proposed credit card interchange fee settlement,” the company said in a statement. “The proposed settlement would not structurally change the broken market or prohibit credit card networks from continually increasing hidden swipe fees, which already cost consumers tens of billions of dollars each year.”