Consumer Affairs & Relations

The offices of Chain Store Age will be closed for the Labor Day holiday weekend. We will resume publishing on Sept. 6. The CSA team wishes you and your family a happy and safe holiday.    

Aeropostale may still live to see another day thanks to a last-minute bid.   In a development that no one saw coming, a consortium of landlords, liquidators and others joined together to make a $243.3 million offer to save 229 Aeropostale stores, Fortune reported. The group includes General Group Properties, Simon Property Group, Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, Hilco Merchant Resources, and Authentic Brands Group.  

Though it forecasts a stronger-than-anticipated closure season, Cushman & Wakefield sees average retail rents ending the year 4.6% higher than they were in 2016.   The company’s U.S. Macro Forecast released this week said that consistent demand for space in Class A retail centers is the biggest factor in rental-rate growth. Cushman analysts also predict that 2016 will see a drop in the retail vacancy rate to 5.8% from 6.6% last year — though they see it moving back up to 6% in 2017.  

Photo: Paul Pressler   The CEO of David's Bridal is out after three years on the job.    The specialty retailer said Pam Wallack has left the company, but gave no reason for her departure, the Associated Press reported. Wallack will be replaced by David’s Bridal chairman and former Gap Inc. head Paul Pressler, who once worked with her at Gap.          

Christopher & Banks Corp.’s loss widened in its second quarter amid soft sales its outlet channel and a temporary shutdown of its e-commerce site.   The company reported a net loss of $3.9 million, or a $0.11 loss per share, compared to a net loss for the prior year period of $0.7 million, or a $0.02 loss per share. Same-store sales decreased 5.8%, compared to a 12.4% decrease in the same period last year.  

Tanger Outlets is putting its pedal to the metal marketing-wise, signing on as lead sponsor of Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 78 NASCAR racer and his Furniture Row Racing Team.   The striking red-and-black Tanger Toyota will debut at the Federated Auto Parts 400 on September 10 at Richmond International Raceway in Virginia before motoring on through the 10-race Chase  playoff series.  

Toys "R" Us announced the appointment of Melanie Teed-Murch as president, Toys "R" Us, Canada, effective Sept. 1.       Teed-Murch joined the retailer in 1996 as a store manager for Toys "R" Us in Kitchener, Ontario. She went on to hold a variety of senior leadership, merchandising and operational roles with increasing responsibility, including her most recent position as Canada's chief merchant.  

In a scenario that few could have predicted, Walmart has emerged as one of President Obama’s most reliable corporate allies, a partner that has backed the White House on more than a dozen initiatives, including Obamacare and climate change, bloomberg.com reported.