Kevin Williams

Contributor at Digital Commerce 360

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Articles

1-800-Flowers.com taps Home Depot veteran as new CEO

1 day ago | digitalcommerce360.com | Kevin Williams

1-800-Flowers.com has brought in retail veteran Adolfo Villagomez to help steer the company as its new CEO. The announcement accompanied a 12.6% year-over-year revenue decline in 1-800-Flowers.com’s latest quarterly earnings. Previously, Villagomez worked at The Home Depot. Now, Jim McCann, the 1-800-Flowers.com founder and outgoing CEO, says the retailer needs someone to come in and fix things. 1-800-Flowers.com is No. 60 in the Top 2000.
1-800-Flowers.com puts Mother's Day flowers on Uber Eats

1 week ago | digitalcommerce360.com | Kevin Williams

Uber Technologies, Inc. and 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. announced an expansion of their partnership, making flowers and gifts available on the Uber Eats app for Mother’s Day. The move comes as 1-800-Flowers.com expects to deliver more than 17.8 million stems in total for the holiday. 1-800-Flowers.com is No. 60 in the Top 2000. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the largest North American online retailers. There, it falls under the Flowers & Gifts category.
Phia enters price-comparison space for ecommerce and fashion

2 weeks ago | digitalcommerce360.com | Kevin Williams

Phoebe Gates’ new ecommerce startup, Phia, is designed to become a new research tool for price-conscious shoppers. Phia was co-founded by entrepreneurs Sophia Kianni and Gates, who is the daughter of Microsoft founder Bill Gates and philanthropist Melinda French Gates. Kianni and Gates announced the launch of Phia as a free iOS app and mobile browser extension that finds the best prices on fashion while shopping.
The Vitamin Shoppe to be acquired by private equity

3 weeks ago | digitalcommerce360.com | Kevin Williams

More than five months after its owner, Franchise Group, filed for bankruptcy, The Vitamin Shoppe will be acquired by private equity firms Kingswood Capital Management and Performance Investment Partners. The news is a boon to vendors and suppliers who sell health and wellness products to the 650-unit chain. Its new owners have vowed to make upgrades. Currently, over 700 suppliers are in The Vitamin Shoppe’s ecosystem.
Harry’s shaves off its name to become Mammoth Brands

4 weeks ago | digitalcommerce360.com | Kevin Williams

Harry’s built its name selling razors and other shaving products, but the company wants vendors and consumers to know it in other contexts as well. So going forward, Harry’s Inc. will be known as Mammoth Brands. That switch highlights the multiple brands that the company owns — and has leveraged to achieve hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. Mammoth Brands (as Harry’s) is No. 168 in the Top 2000 Database. The Top 2000 ranks North America’s online retailers by their annual ecommerce sales.
Walmart, Eko cement partnership by launching new immersive, video-based shopping experiences

1 month ago | digitalcommerce360.com | Kevin Williams

Walmart and Eko are expanding their partnership to bring interactive and immersive elements to product pages on Walmart.com. The two companies first launched their partnership in 2018 as a way to bring customers a more engaging shopping experience. Walmart has been building out its video presence as part of the shopping experience for some time. Walmart hired Eko to develop original, interactive programming, including cooking shows and toy catalogs, while investing more than $200 million with Eko.
Instacart adds in-stock visibility features to please consumers

1 month ago | digitalcommerce360.com | Kevin Williams

Lack of in-stock visibility or incorrect information can introduce problems for delivery apps like Instacart. Out-of-stock messages can mean bad outcomes for consumers and retailers alike, because consumers may not get what they want and retailers may lose opportunities to make sales. Instacart is attempting to avoid these unwanted substitutions and lost sales with new features it is calling Store View and Second Store Check.
Michaels tries assets subscription, Digital Downloads, for crafters

1 month ago | digitalcommerce360.com | Kevin Williams

The Michaels Companies is augmenting its online presence with the launch of Michaels Digital Downloads, a subscription-based platform for creators to access hundreds of thousands of unlimited assets. Digital Downloads is a partnership with Creative Fabrica, which specializes in the digital downloading of crafts.
Forever 21 enters bankruptcy again

1 month ago | digitalcommerce360.com | Kevin Williams

The parent company of Forever 21, a pioneer in fast fashion, filed for bankruptcy protection, it announced March 16 — marking Forever 21’s second bankruptcy in six years. The retail chain has begun liquidation sales at all of its approximately 300 stores. In a bankruptcy filing in Delaware, the chain reported its projected assets to be between $100 million and $500 million, while liabilities are stated to be between $1 billion and $10 billion.
Kroger creates new ecommerce business unit

2 months ago | digitalcommerce360.com | Kevin Williams

Cincinnati-based grocery giant Kroger announced a new ecommerce unit that will align teams contributing to every aspect of the online customer experience. The decision frames ecommerce as a priority at the grocery chain, centralizing control of operations under one of Kroger’s top leaders. Kroger’s senior vice president and chief information officer, Yael Cosset, will lead this function as executive vice president and chief digital officer, effective immediately.