Marketing

New York — Skincare specialist Infinite Beauty has leased its first New York City location at 1031 Third Avenue and 61st Street, according to Faith Hope Consolo, chairman, and Joseph Aquino, executive VP of Douglas Elliman’s Retail Group, which represented both the landlord and tenant in the transaction.

The retailer has stores in affluent areas along the east and west coasts, from Boca Raton, Fla., to Annapolis, Md., and White Plains, N.Y., to Roseville, N.Y., and Palo Alto, Calif.

Beachwood, Ohio – Shopping center operator DDR Corp. is commencing a multi-year proactive lease termination initiative aimed at recapturing high-quality anchor store locations across its portfolio. Through this initiative, DDR is collaborating with retailers in the books, electronics, toys, office and traditional department store categories to right-size their real estate footprints by regaining control of locations in advance of natural lease expiration.

A new cash rewards program rolling out nationwide at Sam’s Club June 12 is the latest enticement to encourage members to opt for the retailer’s $100 Plus membership level.

Plus members will automatically be enrolled in the program on June 12 and receive $10 in cash rewards for every $500 spent with the potential to receive an annual maximum payout of $500. The rewards load automatically onto membership cards and are restricted to use at Sam’s Club 635 locations or online.

Canton, Mass. – The costs of converting its Casual Male XL banner to the DXL banner helped Destination XL swing to a net loss in the first quarter of fiscal 2014. The retailer reported a net loss of $3.5 million, compared to net income of $1 million last year.

For the quarter, total sales were $96.8 million, up 3% from $94 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2013. The increase in total sales was primarily due to an increase in same-store sales of 3.4%

Supermarket industry veteran Peter Lynch was named to the board of directors at Retail Properties of America (RPAI).

The publicly held owner and operator of 227 properties encompassing 31.2 million square feet said Lynch’s extensive experience in the grocery industry would aid RPAI in its repositioning efforts.

Montreal -- Canadian retailer David’s Tea has named Sylvain Toutant as president and CEO. He will be responsible for all operations at the company and oversee its growth in Canada, the United States and around the world. He will also serve on the board of directors.

Most recently, Toutant was president of Keurig Canada, where he accelerated growth through a strategic alliance with Keurig Green Mountain in the United States. He also headed Keurig's operations in the United Kingdom.

New Albany, Ohio – Abercrombie & Fitch Co. reported a net loss of $23.7 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2014, up from $7.2 million in the year-ago period, but less than analysts had expected. Restructuring charges associated with the closure of Abercrombie’s Gilly Hicks stand-alone stores, as well as the impact of heavy discounting on profit margins, helped drive the retailer’s net loss growth. The chain backed its full-year forecast as demand in its female business improved and sales fell less than expected for the first time in six quarters.

Speedo USA has expanded its relationship with Sports Authority and is launching a Speedo Aquatic Zone “shop-within-a-shop” retail concept at four Sports Authority locations.