Prada

Judging by its recent executive appointments, online beauty subscription retailer Birchbox is getting more and more serious about expanding in the physical space.

The company has named Benjamin Fay as VP of retail development and customer experience, with responsibility for translating the Birchbox brand experience into store design and overseeing execution of the retailer’ s off-line growth.

For decades, buying and installing phone systems in retail stores has remained a mundane experience. Times have changed.

New York -- Dolce & Gabbana will open a flagship store in the 15,000-sq.-ft. 155 Mercer Street building in the SoHo area of New York City.

Thor Equities leased the entire building to the Italian luxury fashion house, which plans to re-create the original brownstone façade.

Originally built in 1855 as Firemen’s Hall, the historical property was most recently home to dance performance venue the Joyce Theater. The four-level building includes 50 ft. of frontage on Mercer Street.
 

Seattle – Amazon.com is not the devil by any means, but the e-commerce giant is reportedly interested in “wearing” Prada and other high-end brand names on its site. According to Bloomberg, Amazon is in the midst of a major push to become a player in the word of designer fashion retailing.

Livermore, Calif. -- Simon announced that its Bay Area outlet shopping center, Livermore Premium Outlets, will be rebranded and named San Francisco Premium Outlets in conjunction with a major expansion.

The 512,000-sq.-ft. center is located in the affluent East Bay area of northern California and features 130 designer and name brand outlet stores, including Armani, Barneys New York, Bloomingdale's Outlet, Burberry, Cole Haan, DKNY, Elie Tahari, Kate Spade New York, Last Call by Neiman Marcus, Polo Ralph Lauren, Prada and Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th.

Bracknell, England -- JDA Software Group announced that eyewear manufacturer/marketer Luxottica Group SpA has gone live with its implementation of JDA Supply Chain Planner, from the JDA Manufacturing Planning.  

Sunrise, Fla. - The Sawgrass Mills outlet and value retail shopping center has begun construction on the next expansion of its open-air luxury promenade, The Colonnade Outlets at Sawgrass Mills. The planned project will include an additional 80,000 sq. ft. to comprise 30 additional luxury outlet stores and full-service restaurants, which will join a roster of existing brands like Prada, Gucci, Tory Burch, Burberry and more.  

Toronto -- Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed retail leasing agent for 100 Bloor Street West, a major shopping mecca in Toronto. Currently occupied by Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma, the flagship retail space represents the largest block of available space on Bloor Street in the past 20 years.