Bloomingdale's

New York -- Apparel retailers and department stores reported monthly revenue results for September that were mixed, as Gap Inc. and Limited Brands posted gains that beat Wall Street estimates, while Macy's and Kohl’s missed expectations.

However, many analysts said spending was fairly strong for the month.

CINCINNATI — Macy's Inc. joined the ranks of other retailers that have already announced plans to boost store staff during the holiday season.

Willow Grove, Pa. -- Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust said Monday that Soma Intimates recently opened at Willow Grove Park, in Willow Grove, Pa.

The 2,369-sq.-ft. store will be joined by a newly formatted J.C. Penney opening this fall and featuring the retailer’s Shops format, along with the opening of accessory boutique Laila Rowe.

Willow Grove Park is a three-level, 1.2 million-sq.-ft. regional shopping mall anchored by Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Sears and Nordstrom Rack.

Cincinnati -- Macy’s Inc. said it plans to hire approximately 80,000 seasonal associates for its Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores, call centers, distribution centers and online fulfillment centers nationwide for the 2012 holiday season. This is an increase of about 2.5% from last year.

Willow Grove, Pa. -- Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust said that iFixandRepair will join its Willow Grove Park, Pa., property this fall.

The 1,077-sq.-ft. store joins other Willow Grove Park wireless electronics retailers such as AT&T, Best Buy Mobile, RadioShack, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.

New York -- Fashion and technology combine to surprise customers and engage them in new ways at Bloomingdale’s flagship in New York City and other locations across the country.  The department store retailer had deployed a 3D virtual dressing room, called Swivel, which is supported by Microsoft Corp.’s Kinect for Windows motion sensing technology. With Swivel, customers can “try on” clothes without having to go through the actual physical process.

Willow Grove, Pa. -- Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust said that Soma Intimates will open a 2,369-sq.-ft. store this fall at Will Grove Park, located in Willow Grove, Pa.

Accessory boutique Laila Rowe will also open this fall, in a 1,181-sq.-ft. space.

Willow Grove Park is a three-level, 1.2 million-sq.-ft. regional shopping mall anchored by Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Sears and Nordstrom Rack.
 

Don’t let the grocery sector shake-ups fool you.

While there are individual failures, the category as a whole continues to find favor among developers that place a premium on having a traffic magnet in their shopping centers.

Cincinnati -- Macy's reported a nearly 16% increase in net income for its second quarter as the chain benefited from cost controls and its ongoing strategy of tailoring its fashions to local markets. The company said it was raising its full-year profit forecast.

Macy's net income rose to $279 million for the three-month period ended July 28, up from $241 million in the year-ago period.

New York -- Marvin S. Traub, Bloomingdale’s president and CEO for 22 years, died Wednesday at age 87. Traub had suffered from bladder cancer.

Traub is credited with turning the Bloomingdale’s Manhattan flagship – at Lexington and 59th – into a showcase. He started as a merchandising manager in 1962, and was named president in 1969.