Strategy

There are more than 20,000 Starbucks around the globe, but only one of those stores—specifically the one in the artsy Fremont section of Seattle— has a five-foot tall neon letter “f” inside it.  Read more   

Spanx, one of the hottest brands in retail, named finance executive Dan Glennon to the new role of COO and CFO to help drive growth at the leading shapewear brand.

Glennon will lead the cross functional teams of global finance, legal, information technology, sourcing, manufacturing and planning as well as data and analytics. He will report directly to Spanx CEO Jan Singer.

Washington, D.C. -- U.S. retail sales edged up in October, according to a report released by the Commerce Department, evidence that recent job gains and lower gas prices are lifting consumer spending as the holiday shopping season begins. Retail sales rose 0.3% last month after falling by the same amount in September. Excluding gas stations, where falling prices lowered spending, sales rose a solid 0.5%.  

New York -- A petition to get Old Navy to stop charging more for women's plus-size jeans has gathered more than 36,000 signatures online, Bloomberg reports.  

London -- Challenged to grow in the U.S., teen apparel chain American Eagle Outfitters is making good on its pledge to leverage the overseas market to kickstart expansion.   

Books-A-Million has appointed Ronald J. Domanico to serve as a member of the board and a member of the audit committee of the board.

“We are very fortunate to have identified a director of the caliber and experience that Ron possesses,” said Clyde B. Anderson, the executive chairman of the board of directors of the company. “Ron is a seasoned financial executive that brings a depth of experience in finance, strategy, and operational matters to our board.”

Fort Worth, Texas -- RadioShack's Fix It Here! same-day mobile repair service is now available in 30 stores in the Houston area, adding to 650 stores already in play and plans to roll the service out to 750 stores by year end.   The service allows smartphone and tablet owners to have common issues such as cracked screens, broken buttons and damaged charging ports repaired in-store and same-day. Repairs start at $39.99 and include a 90-day warranty on parts and labor.  

Mississauga, Ontario -- Canadian mall Square One has opened its newly renovated and expanded $60-million North side wing, featuring new stores and enhanced amenities and services in 78,000 sq. ft. The opening marks the completion of the second phase in Square One's multi-phase redevelopment, which will increase retail space to 2.1 million sq. ft. by 2016 and represents a total investment of more than $480 million.