Strategy

Covington, La. -- Marty Mayer, president and CEO of Stirling Properties, won election as VP of the International Council of Shopping Centers’ Southern Division at RECon in May.

As a divisional VP, Mayer will also sit on the Government Relations Advisory Committee. In addition, he currently serves on the Executive Committee of ICSC’s Worldwide Board of Trustees.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club CEO Rosalind Brewer announced the launch of a collaborative program supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs in 25 cities. The Grow Your Business Boot Camp series offers hands-on training seminars backed by a funding commitment of $500,000 from Sam's Club.

Willow Grove, Pa. -- Blo/Out Blow Dry Bar will open its third salon in Willow Grove Park this summer. The new, no-appointment-necessary, no-cut, no-color blow dry bar brand from Philadelphia has signed up for 1,300 sq. ft.

Blo/Out Blow Dry Bar stylists wash and dry hair and blow it straight, wavy, curly or up. Customers choose from eight styles. Additional services include scalp massages, makeup, custom styling and a new 20-minute dry styling treatment.

HAMILTON, N.J. — Bai Brands, makers of a line of all-natural, 5-calorie, antioxidant-infused beverages, has promoted Ken Kurtz to the role of president. Kurtz will be charged with leading the company's sales efforts globally.

Kurtz sits alongside COO Barak Bar-Cohen and CFO Ari Soroken, who make up the company's executive leadership team.

H&M is collaborating with Parisian designer Isabel Marant on a fall line, inspired by her signature style, featuring clothing and accessories for teenagers, women and for the first time, men.

The retailer will roll out the collection Nov. 14 in approximately 250 of its stores worldwide.

Yonkers, N.Y. – American consumers are reporting significantly fewer financial troubles than any time in the past three years, according to the Consumer Reports Index. The Index’s trouble tracker index, which measures the proportion of consumers that have faced difficulties as well as the number of negative financial events they have encountered, dropped from 41.7 in April to 34 in May. This is the lowest trouble tracker score since Consumer Reports began reporting it in April 2009 and more than 50% below its all-time high score of 68.7 in September 2009.

Senior editor Katherine Boccaccio sat down with five retail real estate leaders in Las Vegas at RECon 2013, and all provided insights into not only their own companies but the industry as a whole.

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FORT WORTH, Texas — RadioShack continues courting younger customers, this time by hosting an appearance at one of its Manhattan stores by Muve Music-featured R&B artist Fantasia.  

Fantasia is best known for winning the third season of American Idol. She is also a Grammy Award winner.