Corporate Governance

Canada Goose winging its way to new locations
Canadian outwear brand Canada Goose is continuing its expansion, both offline and online. The company will open two flagship stores this fall, in London and Chicago. It also plans to expand its e-commerce channel to seven new markets including Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria.
Saks opens unusual health and wellness mecca
Shoppers at Saks Fifth Avenue’s Manhattan flagship can now take a fitness class taught by ex-cons in addition to shopping for the latest fashions. They can even learn how to meditate. The luxury department store has transformed its second floor into a health and fitness hub dubbed The Wellery. The 16,000-plus-sq.-ft. space is comprised of 20 individual spaces offering everything from fitness classes and exercise equipment to athleisure apparel and specialized beauty treatments. It will be open through October 2017.

Young women’s apparel retailer to open Chicago flagship

Canada’s Aritzia Inc. is expanding its Chicago footprint as it targets both brick-and-mortar and online expansion. The fashion retailer will open a flagship on Rush Street in Chicago this fall. The Vancouver, British Columbia-based company already operates a store in the Windy City, at Water Tower Place.
Sporting goods giant shakes up leadership team

Dick’s Sporting Goods has made several changes in its executive team, including naming a former Target executive as its chief merchant. The company said that André Hawaux is retiring as executive VP, COO. He will remain with Dick’s through the second quarter of 2017. Dick’s did not name a replacement for Hawaux.
Aldi makes leadership claim on low prices

Watch out Walmart — discount grocer Aldi is beating you in one crucial area. Aldi’s prices are 21% lower than its lowest-priced rivals, including Walmart, CEO Jason Hart told Reuters. And he plans to maintain that gap going forward. The fast-growing Aldi, which recently entered California, operates some 1,600 stores in the United States, with 400 new locations planned by the end of 2018.
Nordstrom mixed in Q1

Nordstrom beat the Street on earnings in its first quarter amid strong sales in its off-price division. Nordstrom said it earned $63 million in the first quarter, compared with $46 million, in the year-ago period. The company earned an adjusted $0.43 a share, beating the $0.27 that analysts were expecting. Total company net sales increased 2.7% to $3.3 billion. Same-store sales fell 0.8%, worse than expected. Online sales accounted for 24% of total net sales.
Target debuts 360° shopping

Target Corp. is taking a cue from Hollywood to help shoppers create the living room of their dreams. The discounter is using the same type of computer generated imagery that figures in movie blockbusters to create a 360-degree, virtual reality-like experience on its website. And it’s shoppable.
Coradino sees ‘new mall’ rising

CEO Joe Coradino and PREIT are serious about recapturing vacant department store space and refilling it with new customer experiences. Just weeks after the opening of a Legoland Discovery Center at its Plymouth Meeting Mall in the Philadelphia suburbs, PREIT announced it had executed a lease at that property with 5 Wits, a live-action entertainment concept that immerses people into one of three adventures: Tomb, Deep Space, or Drago’s Castle.
Nutritional retailer posts disappointing quarter

Vitamin Shoppe missed profit expectations for its first quarter, amid challenges with its Nutri-Force contact manufacturing division. Vitamin Shoppe posted net income of $8.0 million for the quarter ended April 1, compared to $14.8 million in the same period last year. Reported fully diluted earnings per share were $0.35 in first quarter 2017, compared to $0.59 in first quarter 2016.
Rent-A-Center veteran exec returns

The nation's largest rent-to-own operator has a new chief operating officer. Rent-A-Center appointed Joel M. Mussat as executive VP, COO, effective May 5, 2017. He brings more than 20 years of experience in operations, retail strategy and the rent-to-own industry.
Online giant tops in ‘brand intimacy’

Amazon leads the way in the retail industry when it comes to creating an emotional bond with customers, but the industry as a whole lags behind two other categories. That’s according to MBLM’s Brand Intimacy 2017 Report, in which Amazon placed first in the retail category. followed by Whole Foods Market and Target Corp. The remaining brands in the top 10 for the retail industry are: H&M, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Sephora, Ikea, The Home Depot and eBay.
Amazon to build homeless facility — at its new headquarters