Marketing

The chief executive of the nation's largest specialty retailer of swimming pool and spa supplies and related products is stepping down.    Leslie's announced that chairman and CEO Lawrence Hayward will be retiring and transitioning from his role as CEO, effective September 30, 2017.  He will continue to serve as chairman.   

The spinner craze continues to benefit Five Below which has produced a stunning set of second quarter numbers, beating even its own high expectations. Total sales rose by almost 29% over the prior year, supported by a 9.3% uplift in comparables. Meanwhile, a substantial expansion of margins fueled bottom line growth where net income was up by 71.4%.  

Costco Wholesale Corp. turned in a strong performance in August, helped by a big increase in online sales.    Net sales rose 10% to $9.8 billion for the month of August, from $8.9 billion during the similar period last year. Total same-store sales rose 7.3%, higher than the 6.1% Wall Street expected. Same-store U.S. sales rose 7.4%, easily topping estimates for a 4.9% to 5.3% increase. Costco's comparable e-commerce sales jumped 26% in August.   

Westfield’s billion-dollar renovation of its Century City Mall in Los Angeles will include a swanky Uber Lounge where customers can wait in style for their rides.    The shopping center owner has formed a partnership with Uber to facilitate use of shared rides at its centers nationwide. The mall owner will create drop-off and pick-up stations at every one of its U.S. properties, whose locations will be digitally mapped into the Uber app. The idea: make pick-ups and drop-offs easier and build mall traffic.  

The British brand best known for its bagless vacuum cleaners, bladeless fans and, most recently, high-tech hair-dryers is expanding its fledgling retail portfolio.    Dyson Ltd. will open a "Dyson Demo" store this fall at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto. Also in the works: a store at 640 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, and one in San Francisco's Union Square.  

Amazon isn't as dominant as is widely believed — at least not according to a new report from Moody's Investor Services.   

Simon Property Group raised eyebrows in the real estate and retail communities this week with the filing a suit that challenged Starbucks’ decision to close 78 Teavana stores in Simon malls. All retailer 379 of the tea shops are slated for closure through next year.  

West Elm brand is expanding in the U.K.   The retailer, a division of Williams-Sonoma, will open its second U.K. location, in the London suburb of Kingston-Upon-Thames in winter 2017. The two-story, 8,000-sq.-ft. store is on the ground floor of Bentalls Shopping Centre. The new location will open with the brand's holiday assortment, along with a signature mix of furniture and accessories, and Fair Trade Certified and handcrafted products.