Saks Fifth Avenue

Pittsburgh – In a surprise announcement, GNC Holdings Inc. said that Joe Fortunato, chairman, president and CEO of the company, is stepping down. It named Michael G. Archbold, 53, CEO and CFO of The Talbots Inc., as CEO and member of the board, effective immediately. The change comes a week after GNC announced its second disappointing quarter this year.

GNC has appointed senior retail industry executive Michael G. Archbold as CEO and member of the board, effective immediately. Archbold replaces chairman, president and CEO Joseph Fortunato, who is leaving the company and has stepped down from the board.

Lead independent director Michael Hines has been elected non-executive chairman.

Rosemont, Ill. - Horizon Group Properties Inc. and CBL & Associates Properties Inc. have opened The Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass, which opened fully leased with 90 stores and eateries. The Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass is the only outlet center in the state and is located between Louisville and Lexington on Interstate 64.

New York – Saks Fifth Avenue and Party City are both utilizing the Scandit software-based barcode scanning and data capture platform for smartphones, tablets and wearable computing devices. Using Scandit’s Barcode Scanner SDK, the retailers are able to offer a variety of consumer- and employee-facing applications, including mobile shopping, clienteling, mobile point-of-sale, asset tracking and product information gathering.  

Aurora, Ill. — Simon has launched construction of its expansion of Chicago Premium Outlets, adding 50 new stores, including Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, and including a comprehensive renovation of the Chicagoland center.

Atlanta -- Simon Property Group and Columbus Realty have teamed to inject a high-residential component to Simon’s fashionable Phipps Plaza shopping destination in the tony Buckhead area of Atlanta.

The residential project, to be named Domain at Phipps Plaza, will be developed with Columbus Realty Partners.

Los Angeles -- Drybar, the leading blowdry-only salon concept, has received a $20 million investment led by SPK Capital and existing investor, Castanea Partners.
 

ValueVision Media, a multichannel electronic retailer operating as ShopHQ via TV, Internet and mobile, has named Mark Bozek as CEO. It has also reconstituted its board of directors and appointed Bob Rosenblatt as its non-executive chairman.

Bozek succeeds Keith Stewart, who has resigned as CEO and as a director of the company. Bozek has more than 20 years of senior executive experience in the multichannel commerce, electronic retailing and entertainment industries, including having served as CEO of HSN, SVP of QVC and as a producer at Fox Television.