Corporate Governance

Bebe chairman to sell majority stake
Brisbane, Calif. – Manny Mashouf, founder and chairman of Bebe Stores Inc., intends to gradually sell off his 59% majority ownership stake in the company. Bebe has filed a registration statement with the SEC for a proposed secondary offering of about 46.9 million shares associated with Mashouf.

Mashouf will sell the shares during a reasonable period of time. Bebe will not receive any proceeds from the sale.
Burlington boosts profit; will open 25 stores
Burlington, N.J. – Aided by reductions in areas such as interest expense, debt extinguishment and stock option modification, Burlington Stores Inc. more than doubled its net income to $25.69 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2015 from $11.77 million the same period a year earlier. The company plans to open 25 stores during fiscal 2015.

Christopher & Banks plagued by weather, port dispute

The West Coast port dispute and traffic declines due to weather led to a big loss for Christopher & Banks Corp. in the first quarter.
Kohl's hops on the Apple Pay bandwagon

Another retailer is embracing Apple Pay as an option for customers who want an easy, secure and private way to pay.
Amazon.com to build 4th fulfillment center in Texas

Amazon.com is going big in Texas with the announcement of the construction of yet another fulfillment center in Dallas.

The new 500,000 square-foot facility, which is currently under construction, will be located at the northeast corner of Interstate 45 and Interstate 20 in Dallas and will bring about 500 new jobs to the area when the facility opens early in 2016.

Employees at the Dallas fulfillment center will process smaller items, such as books, electronics and consumer goods, Amazon said Tuesday.
Bealls designs an artistic marketing campaign

Bealls has come up with a creative marketing campaign to leverage the artistic talent of its customers.

The company has launched the Bealls Florida Artist Competition, which will provide the opportunity for new and established artists to have their artwork produced into a line of Florida-inspired products exclusive to Bealls Florida.
Fighter pilots wanted in war on big data

We are in a golden age of big data and analytics in which technology enables retailers to be more lean, efficient and competitive than ever. There are companies with solutions that address everything from pricing optimization and marketing effectiveness to optimal modular assortments and cybersecurity threats.
Lululemon proves yogawear trend is still hot

Things are looking up for yogawear retailer Lululemon Athletica Inc., which reported a large increase in revenue from online sales in the first quarter.
Lands' End adds Saks, J.Crew vets to exec team

Lands' End is adding two highly regarded retail veterans to an executive team led by newly appointed CEO Federica Marchionni.

The company announced that Joseph Boitano is bringing his more than 30 years of retail and wholesale experience to a new role at Lands' End as executive vice president, chief merchandising and design officer and will lead all aspects of merchandising and design.
Macy’s adds two more store locations for launch of Macy’s Backstage

Cincinnati -- Macy’s on Monday announced two more pilot store locations in metro New York City for its new off-price format, Macy’s Backstage. The additional stores brings to six the total number of Macy’s Backstage for launch. All are expected to open in fall 2015 and average about 30,000 sq. ft.

The added locations are at Fordham Place in The Bronx, and Essex Green Shopping Center, West Orange, New Jersey, where an existing Macy’s store will be converted to Macy’s Backstage.
Hello Kitty stores coming to Universal Parks & Resorts

Torrance, Calif. -- Sanrio, the global lifestyle brand best known for pop icon Hello Kitty, and Universal Parks & Resorts have announced their partnership to develop Hello Kitty interactive retail experience shops scheduled to open later this year at Universal Orlando Resort and in the future at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Bauer Hockey announces second retail location

EXETER, N.H. -- Bauer Hockey announced today that it will open its second retail store, in Bloomington, Minnesota. The Bloomington location is the second to be announced by Bauer Hockey, with the first-ever store expected to open in Burlington, Massachusetts, this summer.