Corporate Governance

Online retailer 6pm.com turns six years on Sept. 6, and to mark the day, the brand is giving its loyal customers a reason to celebrate.

During the birthday celebration on Sept. 6, customers everywhere will be able to shop special deals and play party games for the chance to win prizes. 

Nordstrom never rushes things. It moves forward slowly, thoughtfully and creatively. And when the company makes a decision, observers tend to nod their heads and say: “Hey, that’s a good idea.”

A week ago, in a news conference announcing the acquisition of a West Side Manhattan Nordstrom store site for $102.5 million, Peter Nordstrom said: “We’ve had the intention and the drive, gosh, probably for the last 25 years to try to be here. We fully expect this to be our most successful store.”

Washington, D.C. — Pret A Manger has leased a two-story retail building on Capital Hill in Washington, D.C., according to Douglas Development, the building’s owner. Located just two blocks from the U.S. Capitol Building, the restaurant will occupy 4,300-sq. ft. and offer two floors of indoor dining as well as a large outdoor patio.

Originally from London, Pret A Manger opened its first U.S. location in 2000 near the New York Stock Exchange. Today, there are over 300 Pret A Manger locations worldwide.

CINCINNATI — Pantene has selected current CoverGirl spokesperson Queen Latifah as its brand ambassador, supporting the Truly Relaxed and Truly Natural collections.

Chattanooga, Tenn. — CBL & Associates Properties has closed on the sale of three malls and three related associated centers in a portfolio transaction for a gross sale price of $176 million in cash. The properties include Georgia Square Mall and Georgia Square Plaza in Athens, Ga.; Panama City Mall and The Shoppes at Panama City in Panama City, Fla.; and Rivergate Mall and Village at Rivergate in Nashville, Tenn.

August seems to have delivered a mixed bag to various retailers, but Costco seems to have fared well with reported net sales of $7.95 billion for the four weeks ended Sept. 1, an increase of 7% from $7.44 billion during the prior-year period.

Comparable-store sales in the U.S., adjusted to exclude changes in gasoline prices, increased 5% for August and for the fourth quarter and increased 6% for the 52-week period.

For the fourth quarter, the company reported net sales of $31.8 billion, an increase of 1% from $31.5 billion in the prior-year quarter.

New York -- Although back-to-school sales were unexpectedly sluggish, retail sales for the month of August benefited from a late boost in store traffic.

Of the retailers still reporting monthly sales – most so far are reporting slight increases in August same-store sales. Retail Metrics forecast an overall August gain of 3.2% year-over-year; retail sales advanced 3.3% during the same period last year.

Costco Wholesale Corp. reported a same-store sales rise of 4% in August, surpassing a forecast 3.8% gain.

Houston -- Saks Inc. will open a new flagship store immediately adjacent to its existing location in the Houston Galleria, featuring 198,000 sq. ft. over two levels and a state-of-the-art store design. The current store will remain open until the new store opens in fall 2015. Once the old store closes, it will be converted to a two-level mall wing connecting the new Saks to Neiman Marcus and adding 35 retailers and restaurants.