News Briefs

An Italian luxury brand is set to make its debut in the United States.

Real estate management and services firm Colliers has announced the lease of Moorer’s first U.S. retail store, located in New York City’s Meatpacking District in Manhattan. Founded in Verona, Italy, Moorer specializes in luxury outerwear and apparel, including  jackets, coats and vests, made exclusively in Italy, blending refined tailoring with advanced fabrics. 

The brand’s retail debut in New York City store represents a milestone in the brand’s global expansion, which operates nine boutiques worldwide. The long-term lease covers approximately 3,400 sq. ft. on the corner of Gansevoort Street, offering Moorer a highly-visible location steps from the High Line public park and Whitney Museum of American Art.

The space, which is expected to open this winter, will feature a newly approved façade, and positions Moorer among other global luxury brands including Hermès, Brunello Cucinelli, Zegna, and Loro Piana. Just last month, Bottega Veneta announced the opening of its third store on Gansevoort Street next spring.

“The Meatpacking District has emerged as one of Manhattan’s premier luxury retail corridors, drawing from both a sophisticated local customer base and international visitors,” said Thomas Citron, executive VP at Colliers. “This flagship will provide Moorer with tremendous exposure, dynamic co-tenancy, and proximity to world-class cultural destinations, making it the ideal neighborhood for their U.S. debut.”

[READ MORE: First Look: John Varvatos opens NYC flagship]

The transaction was facilitated by a Colliers team led by Citron, along with associates Alexander Green and Adam Moss. Michael O’Neill of Cushman & Wakefield represented the building ownership.

Return fees are now commonplace for online merchants, and customer loyalty has yet to be impacted.

The majority (70%) of merchants now charge return fees, up from 65% last year, according to the 2025 State of Ecommerce Returns Report from commerce operations platform Loop, based on over 13 million returns across 4,000 Shopify merchants. Merchants have achieved an 11.5% average return rate so far in 2025, while converting 19% of returns into exchanges.

Exchange rates have risen in addition to returns, with jewelry (+30% year over year) and intimates (+26% year over year) leading the way. Return rates varied by vertical, as electronics fell 28%, apparel increased 8%, home goods more than doubled (+144%), and intimates declined slightly (-1%). Cosmetics & personal care brands had the fastest return processing and highest loyalty.

Despite return fees being commonplace, customer loyalty hasn’t been impacted so far. Loop’s report found that brands have so far retained $516 million in revenue in 2025 through returns optimization.

[READ MORE: Customers expect free returns, but don’t always make them honestly]

“The best brands aren’t avoiding returns, they’re leveraging them to improve the P&L,” said Alexis Perlmutter, head of data at Loop. “Our State of Ecommerce Returns Report shows that when brands automate returns, incentivize exchanges, and think strategically about the entire customer experience, they retain more revenue and gain repeat customers. This is a clear moment of transformation in ecommerce operations, and it’s being led by brands that treat post-purchase like a growth engine.”

Loop has processed over 55 million returns and counting, and has helped merchants capture more than $2 billion in revenue over the past five years.

Carter’s Inc. is playing defense.

“Carter’s was given no advance notice of the stock accumulation by RWWM, and there has been no communication from RWWM, despite attempts by Carter’s management to contact RWWM,” the company stated.

The limited duration stockholder rights agreement aims to reduce the chance that any entity is able to gain control of Carter’s through open market purchases without paying all stockholders an appropriate control premium or providing the board sufficient opportunity to make informed judgments and take actions that are in the best interests of all stockholders. The agreement will expire on Sept. 21, 2026.

Under the rights plan, Carter’s will issue one preferred share purchase right for each outstanding share of common stock to stockholders of record on Oct. 3, 2025. The rights will initially not be exercisable and will trade with the company’s common stock.

The poison pill will be triggered if any person or group acquires 15% or more of Carter's outstanding shares without board approval.

The company operates more than 1,000 stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico under its core Carter's and OshKosh B'gosh brands. 

Sidley Austin LLP is acting as legal counsel to Carter’s.

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Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., Pilot Company operates nearly 900 locations in 44 states and five Canadian provinces, serving an average of 1.2 million guests per day. It employs approximately 30,000 team members.

JCPenney continues its efforts to appeal to fashion-minded consumers on a budget.

The department store retailer is launching the RM Rebecca Minkoff line, an affordable collection from designer Rebecca Minkoff, who transitioned to a licensing-driven model in July. The exclusive line, which includes "shrunken" pea coats, pleather bombers, fringe jackets, blouses, skirts, wide-leg denim, boots, handbags and accessories. debuts with more than 85 pieces and price points starting at $40.

"True insiders know great fashion shouldn’t be a secret, and it certainly isn’t defined by the price tag,” said Michelle Wlazlo, JCPenney brand CEO. “We are excited to welcome the designer brand RM Rebecca Minkoff into the JCPenney portfolio, giving our customers even more reasons to shop with us. This launch makes elevated designer style more accessible than ever, whether you’re running errands or running the world. If you know you know, and now, everyone can.”

Earlier this month, Penney launched exclusive limited-time collection from legendary designer brand Bob Mackie, whose starry list of clients ranges from Cher to Taylor Swift.

The new initiatives are part of Penney’s new brand campaign, "Yes, JCPenney!"