Retail Stores

Christopher & Banks announced that it will close about 100 underperforming stores over the next three months as part of a restructuring plan that also includes format consolidations and workforce reductions.

Donating unwanted products to organizations that help people in times of need is undoubtedly a win-win for retailers. But as many companies have found, getting the right products to the right people isn’t always easy.

In anticipation of the holidays, Performics has been tracking key paid search metrics for an aggregate group of retailer clients through the fourth quarter. Compared to the same week last year, retailers are dedicating significantly more budget to paid search leading up to Black Friday 2011.

If Halloween didn’t scare you enough this year, the fact that holiday shopping has already begun is sure to be a hair-raiser. Over half of polled shoppers fresh off of their sugar highs have taken to the internet to search for holiday gifts this season.

London-based apparel brand Topshop is launching a new service to target busy shoppers this holiday season. Topshop’s personal shopping team will handpick gift items, based on a buyer’s requirement, and wrap each item individually. If the buyer approves of the selection, the wrapped presents will then be shipped out and arrive at the receiver’s doorsteps on Christmas Day.

Economic conditions have always had an impact on impulse purchases, habitual purchases and switch considerations. Consumers will rely more on “real-time” relevant communications, real-time reinforcement of purchase decisions, smarter search and comparison services, more flexible payment options, and most importantly, an uncanny ability to synchronize the experience from store to web.

The gloves are coming off this holiday season, with retailers announcing unprecedented Thanksgiving openings and "Black Midnight" entering into the lexicon. Now Kohl's is making sure its efforts will be very well-funded.

Fewer retailers are expecting return fraud rates to grow this holiday season, thanks in part to enhanced return policies and requiring identification when receipts are not present during the return process.

Cabela's announced the introduction of PayItFast for accepting Cabela's Club Visa card payments in all of the brand's U.S. stores. The Cabela's Club Visa card is issued by World's Foremost Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cabela's.

Versace has designed a new collection for Swedish high-street retail giant H&M. The Versace at H&M collection features glamorous clothes and accessories embellished with sequins, studs, leather and lace. Many of the styles are reminiscent of signature looks of the Italian fashion house, which were originally designed by the late Gianni Versace.