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Wayne, N.J. – Toys “R” Us announced it has strengthened its global e-commerce capabilities with the launch of a dedicated web store in China. The company also announced the development of mobile-optimized sites and apps in 11 markets around the world, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, and the U.K. In the coming months, the retailer will introduce the same capabilities in Portugal, Austria and Switzerland, as well as the Netherlands, where it does not currently have a store presence.
 

San Francisco -- Williams-Sonoma Inc. said its second-quarter net income rose 10%, fueled by double-digit sales growth at its Pottery Barn and West Elm stores. The results beat analysts’ expectations and the company also raised its profit and sales predictions for the full year.

For the quarter ended July 29, Williams-Sonoma earned $43.4 million, up from $39.3 million in the same period last year.

Dublin, Calif. -- Epicor Software Corp., announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire substantially all of the operating assets and intellectual property of New Zealand-based partner Cogita Holdings Limited. The transaction is anticipated to close by May 31, 2012.

One-stop shopping convenience has taken on new meaning at Westfield Chicago Ridge, in Chicago Ridge, Ill., where Aldi has opened its first U.S. mall store. In May, the German discount grocer opened a supermarket inside the 800,000-sq.-ft. suburban Chicago center, a property of The Westfield Group. Except for its location, the 20,000-sq.-ft. Aldi is prototypical in most respects. 


Athletic footwear is displayed like prized museum artifacts in Sneakerology, a 600-sq.-ft.-store in Sydney, Australia. Each shoe -- there are nearly 300 in total -- is presented in its own plywood box on the wall. The boxes are neatly ordered and offset by half unit on each level. Each has a number that identifies the shoe inside it. 

Optimism about economic expansion is on the rise among senior finance executives in the United States and around the rest of the globe, according to the annual American Express/CFO Research Global Business & Spending Monitor.  In fact, the level of optimism was the highest in the four years that the survey has been conducted, with three in four (75%) executives expecting modest to strong economic expansion over the next twelve months -- up from 71% in 2010. The U.S. figure was even higher at 79%, although most predict modest growth.

Subway continues to expand at a blistering pace. Since January, the restaurant chain has opened more than 1,000 new locations around the world, and crossed the milestone of 33,000 locations. New stores accounted for approximately 1.4 million sq. ft. of filled commercial retail space, while the total international store count shot up to more than 9,700 restaurants.