Order Fulfillment

Send the Trend, the e-commerce site acquired by QVC in February, has relaunched to provide a broader range of premier beauty and accessory products. According to a press release, Send the Trend leverages proprietary technology — with unique algorithms — to deliver monthly, personalized shopper recommendations filled from an expanded product assortment, including Send the Trend branded collections and selections from QVC's diverse product portfolio of prestige brands in jewelry, fashion accessories, beauty, hair care and skin care categories.

Belk, Inc. is making all the right moves around improving its warehouse and fulfillment operations to meet the needs of its growing e-commerce business.

It's that time of year again when retailers should start preparing their businesses for holidays returns. The holiday returns season is a very important time of year for both retailers and manufacturers. A typical retail chain will process more than 45 percent of its total annual returns volume between the first week in January and the first week in March. Manufacturers of consumer goods, in turn, will get hit with this same tidal wave of seasonal recalls and product returns about a week to two weeks later as their retail customers process and ship returns to them.

Sears has relaunched its Fulfilled by Sears (FBS) service that now includes multichannel fulfillment. The retailer, which joined Wal-Mart in opening its e-commerce website to third-party merchants in 2009, said it's adding new functionality to FBS every month. In its monthly newsletter to sellers, Sears said it was looking for merchants who wanted to utilize its expertise in transportation and logistics by using FBS. For a limited time, sellers that convert items over to FBS will be eligible for a special "Relaunch Offer."

AT&T is adopting the Apple philosophy with a mega retail store that focuses on the consumer and not just on selling products. Opening Saturday, the new 10,000 square-foot store is nestled along Chicago's famed Magnificent Mile. The design of the store offers the promise of a more customer-focused experience than that found at AT&T's usual retail outlets.

Target's customers are looking for answers and connected solutions. Best Buy is looking for new customers, specifically how to reach women and families. So, is the Geek Squad and Target a match made in heaven? Most retail partnering experiments and mergers fail, but the Best Buy Geek Squad in Target might just work. The consumer needs for services in a mobile and highly connected digital world require more than the traditional product-centric merchandising of mass merchants.

Target  is living up to the second half of its "Expect more. Pay less." slogan by winning the latest round in its pricing battle with Wal-Mart Stores. Target this month had lower prices than Wal-Mart for the first time since October, according to research...

A proposed swipe fee settlement would give retailers the green light to charge consumers a surcharge for using a credit card, but a new poll suggests that consumers will not graciously accept the extra charge. According to a new poll by CreditCards.com, nearly two in three Americans -- 65 percent -- said they would stop using their credit cards if retailers start adding extra fees to credit card purchases -- regardless of how small that fee may be.

Two days after a major glitch impacted eBay listings, the company had nothing more to say beyond its initial acknowledgement of the problem. On Monday evening, eBay Spokesperson Ryan Moore issued a statement in response to EcommerceBytes' inquiries: "We experienced a technical issue with images today that prompted the pop-ups. The issue was resolved around 4:30 this afternoon. We apologize for any inconvenience."

Daffy's, a 19-store chain that sells discount designer brands in the U.S. Northeast, said it will shutter its business in the next few months, citing an uncertain economy and weak consumer spending. "The process will entail the gradual closing of Daffy's stores and the liquidation of its merchandise," Michael McMullan, a Daffy's spokesman, wrote in an emailed statement today. Daffy's, which doesn't have a final date for the closure of the business, will continue to employ its associates and give them pay and benefits for at least 60 days, McMullan said. Daffy's has about 1,300 employees.