Accessories

New York -- VF Corp. said Friday that its first-quarter profit rose 9%, helped by last year’s acquisition of Timberland and global demand for its brands from North Face to Vans.

Net income rose to $215.2 million, from $200.7 million a year earlier. Revenue was up 31% to $2.56 billion.
 

New York -- Liz Claiborne Inc. reported Thursday that it narrowed its loss in the first quarter to $60.6 million, compared with a $96.3 million loss in the year-ago period. Strong sales of the company’s Kate Spade and Lucky Brands goods strengthened the results.

Revenue for the period fell 4% to $317.1 million from $330.7 million, but beat Wall Street’s estimated $307.4 million in revenue.

Malibu, Calif. -- Southern California lifestyle center Malibu Country Mart welcomed Kolletti Bambini, a boutique specializing in designer clothing and accessories for children and infants.

The 630-sq.-ft. boutique opened on April 20.
 
Malibu County Mart features 90,000 sq. ft. of high-end retail, dining and services housed in an eclectic mix of architectural styles including Mediterranean, modern and rustic influences. 
 

Sunrise, Fla. -- Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group announced that Sawgrass Mills, the largest outlet, value retail and entertainment destination in the United States with more than 350 stores, will soon break ground on its newest phase of development to increase the footprint of The Colonnade Outlets at Sawgrass Mills. 

This milestone also represents the soon-to-be-completed 140,000-sq.-ft. retail expansion of the south side of the property.

New York -- Coach Inc. posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit on Tuesday, benefiting from strong sales and improved margins. The company also announced that its board of directors has voted to increase its cash dividend by 33%.

Net income for the third quarter ended on March 31 was a better-than-expected $225 million compared with $186 million a share, a year earlier.

Revenue rose 16.6% to $1.11 billion, just above analysts’ expectations. Same-store sales in the United States rose 6.7%.

New York -- Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) will enter Latin America this fall, opening a flagship in Centro Santa Fé, Mexico City.

“We look very much forward to opening the first H&M flagship store in Mexico. It will be the perfect first step for H&M into this fashion conscious region,” said Karl-Johan Persson, CEO, H&M.
 

Corpus Christi, Texas -- Trademark Property Group announced that its La Palmera property in Corpus Christi, Texas, has five new stores planning to open by late spring.

Construction is underway on White House | Black Market (3,453 sq. ft.), Soma Intimates (2,313 sq. ft); Bebe (4,885 sq. ft.); Traffic Shoes (1,105 sq. ft.); and Papaya (6,350 sq. ft.).

The Children’s Place has opened a 3,467-sq.-ft new location by Champs, and construction is underway on a Payless ShoeSource location (3,360 sq. ft.), adjacent to the new Papaya.

DALLAS — Neiman Marcus Group announced that Joshua Schulman has been appointed president of Bergdorf Goodman, effective May 7.

Schulman, 40, joins Neiman Marcus from Jimmy Choo where he was CEO. In this role, he oversaw the international expansion of the brand and the growth of jimmychoo.com. Prior to Jimmy Choo, Schulman was president, Kenneth Cole New York, and managing director, international strategic alliances, Gap Inc.

New York -- Gucci said Wednesday it has launched its own mobile point-of-sale program at select directly operated U.S., Europe and Asia locations.

Through this program, Gucci is leveraging technology to create a unique customer experience and to better serve clients when they are shopping in its stores.

TOPEKA, Kan. — Payless ShoeSource, a business unit of Collective Brands, has named Michele Bergerac SVP and general merchandise manager for Payless' women's and accessories businesses, reporting to LuAnn Via, president and CEO for Payless.

Bergerac will oversee product creation and merchandising for the Women's footwear and accessory collections, covering a range of categories including dress, sandals, casuals and boots for women, as well as accessories including handbags, socks and hosiery, scarves, jewelry and beauty and body products.