JCPenney Co.

New York -- Bloomberg reported Thursday that Macy’s Inc. has filed suit against J.C. Penney Co. in New York state court over the rights to sell products branded by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. in their respective department stores.

Macy’s sued Martha Stewart Living in January to stop it from executing a sales agreement with J.C. Penney, as Macy’s claimed an exclusive right to sell Martha Stewart products in certain categories.

New York -- The New York Times reported Thursday about Allen Questrom’s on-air visit with CNBC for its Fast Money Halftime Report, during which the former J.C. Penney CEO was very candid about his disapproval of new chief Ron Johnson’s approach to leadership.

Rock Hill Galleria has unveiled plans for a number of large-scale developments slated for the 470,000-sq.-ft. regional mall. 

Entertainment destination Revolutions will open a 66,640-sq.-ft. location at Rock Hill Galleria, featuring 30 state-of-the-art bowling lanes, a lazer maze and arena, bumper cars, arcade, restaurant and bar, sports theatre, plus live music and dancing. Opening is anticipated for winter 2012.

All eyes are on J.C. Penney Co. as it rolls out the first wave of its branded shops to nearly 700 stores nationwide. 

The Annual State of the Industry Report is the centerpiece of this issue of Chain Store Age, and it’s a great read. It’s also very timely.

As a leading retailer, you know what your customer wants, and you’ve done the hard work of building the right assortment, sourcing from the right factories, and making it available in time for the season. Now you need to make sure that your customers can have what they want when they want it.   

From J.C. Penney to Target to Selfridges, retailers across the spectrum are giving over valuable floor space to in-store shops. Here are some interesting observations on the phenomenon from Joanna Felder, VP intelligence and brand strategy at Chute Gerdeman, Columbus, Ohio.

Shop-in-shops offer retailers the magic formula of flexibility, brand-enhancing cachet and the ability to attract new customer segments. The opportunity has never been better for young, entrepreneurial hip brands to find a mainstream home.

New York -- Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. filed a notice of appeal in a lawsuit by Macy's Inc. in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, Bloomberg reported.

Macy’s sued Martha Stewart Living in January to stop the company from executing a sales agreement that it announced in December with J.C. Penney Company.  Macy’s said it had the exclusive right to sell Martha Stewart-branded products in certain categories.