Corporate Governance

Stockholm, Sweden – Sweden-based global specialty apparel retailer H&M is planning to open its first store in India in fall 2015. The 25,000-sq.-ft. store will be located in New Delhi.

H&M, which currently operates more than 3,600 stores in 58 global markets, may open as many as 50 new stores in India during the next few years.

London - Since launching its new website in 2014, Marks & Spencer is giving its customers a more visual, interactive way to shop online. AT&T is providing hosting and application management services to the U.K.-based global department store retailer.  

Redmond, Wash. – Microsoft Corp. recently held a press tour of its Redmond, Washington campus that included briefings on the future of technology. Two items that may be of particular interest to retailers are a transformation to an IT networking model based on interconnected nodes, and a world where encryption-based security is obsolete.

“Peripherals will become nodes on an interconnected network,” said David Baumert, senior program manager technology & research, Microsoft. “They will sense the meaning of interactions.”

New York -- Gap Inc. is eyeing the 110,000-sq.-ft. Toys “R” Us flagship at 1514 -1530 Broadway, according to The Real Deal.

Sources say the specialty apparel retailer may split the space between Old Navy and Gap stores.

The massive retail space comes with a hefty price tag: the ground floor alone goes for $2,500 per square foot per year in rent, while the top floor is going for $150 per square foot, and the basement for $350 per square foot.

New York - Charming Charlie has unveiled its first New York City flagship store. Situated on Fifth Avenue, the flagship is a showcase for the brand's new store concept, and was designed in partnership with Callison Architects.  

San Jose – A new privacy policy which will take effect at PayPal Inc. on July 1 will require users to allow PayPal, its affiliates and service providers to contact them at provided telephone numbers via autodialed or prerecorded call or text message. While the policy prohibits PayPal from sharing user contact information with outside third parties, contracted billing and collection companies are permitted to use customer phone numbers.

Oak Brook, Ill. - The Inland Real Estate Group Inc. is naming Prashant Bodhanwala, 48, as chief accounting officer, overseeing accounting, financial strategic planning and financial analyses for Inland. Bodhanwala most recently served as VP of accounting for CA Ventures LLC, a real estate development firm, where he was responsible for all accounting, tax, accounts payable, accounts receivable and payroll.

Gainesville, Fla. - The developer of Celebration Pointe, a 225-acre mixed-used regional development located in Gainesville, Florida, has secured a $125 million construction loan for Phase I of the project.  Celebration Pointe partner Ralph Conti made the announcement.

“We are very pleased to have secured this key piece of our capital stack,” said Celebration Pointe partner Ralph Conti.   

Lawrenceville, N.J. - GS1 US has recognized three companies with GS1 US Apparel and General Merchandise Retail Industry Achievement Awards. The awards, which honor organizations that have implemented GS1 standards to deliver outstanding achievements in innovating the retail supply chain, were presented to the following winning companies in three categories:

• GS1 US Retailer Excellence Award: Macy’s Inc.
• GS1 US Supplier Excellence Award: PVH Corp.
• GS1 US Solution Provider Excellence Award: OpenText|GXS

Dodgeville, Wis. – Profit plummeted in a difficult first quarter of fiscal 2015 for Lands’ End Inc. that also saw sales decline. Cost of sales and other expenses declined at a smaller rate than revenues, leading to net income of $1.72 million, down 84% from $10.86 million the same quarter a year earlier.

Net merchandise sales and services declined 9% to $299.39 million from $330.48 million. Same-store sales dropped 12.1%.