Retail

New York City -- Saks plans to close its 20,000-sq.-ft. Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th store in Triangle Factory Outlets in Morrisville, N.C., (metropolitan Raleigh) by Jan. 1.

The company opened a 30,000-sq.-ft. Off 5th location in Tanger Outlet Center of the Piedmont in nearby Mebane, N.C., in 2010, which will serve as a replacement store for the closing location. The new Mebane store was designed in the chain’s loft” format that debuted in 2008 and which redefined and elevated the outlet shopping experience.

NEW YORK — Barnes & Noble has announced that Joseph Lombardi, CFO, has resigned from his current position, but will remain a non-officer employee until mid-2012 to assist in the transition as the company undertakes an executive search for a new CFO. The company also announced the appointment of Allen Lindstrom, VP corporate controller, to interim CFO until a replacement is named. 

New York City -- While 43% of smartphone owners have installed and used a retailer's app, only 14% of those who installed them say the app led to a purchase decision, according to the most recent Retrevo Pulse Study, an ongoing study of tech industry trends conducted for the consumer electronics shopping and review site.

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Office Depot announced that the company’s global headquarters, located in Boca Raton, Fla., has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Energy Star certification. The certification signifies that the building performs in the top 25% of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meets strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA, Office Depot reported.

New York City -- Tiffany & Co. announced plans to open a store in Prague, marking the luxury retailer’s first location in Eastern Europe. The 2,600-sq.-ft. store is scheduled to open in the summer of 2012.

“The opening of our first store in Eastern Europe marks a significant strategic move for Tiffany, as we further develop and grow our business throughout Europe,” said Melvyn Kirtley, group VP Europe.
 

New York City -- Barnes & Noble said its CFO Joseph Lombardi has resigned and the company is starting a search to replace him. Lombardi will stay on with the company until mid-2012 to assist in the transition as the company undertakes an executive search for a new CFO.

Corporate controller Allen Lindstrom will take over CFO duties until a replacement is named.
 

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Fresh & Easy will kick off its annual in-store holiday food drive across all of its stores next month in honor of National Food Bank Week.

From mid-November trough Dec. 31, customers can donate canned and boxed goods in specially designated boxes at Fresh & Easy stores in Arizona, California and Nevada.

Last holiday season, the retailer and its customers donated more than $1 million in food to local food banks and charities.

Toronto -- Joe Fresh, the Canadian value-priced apparel brand, has opened its first permanent U.S. store, in Bridgewater Mall, Bridgewater, N.J., and another in Roosevelt Field Mall, Garden City, N.Y. The company will make its New York City debut, in Manhattan’s Flat Iron District, on Nov.3. A second store will open in spring, on Fifth Ave.

In addition, the retailer is opening two Joe Fresh Holiday Fashion pop-up stores in Manhattan. (This past summer, the brand operated a summer pop-up in East Hampton, N.Y.)