Accessories

TOPEKA, Kan. — Payless announced that it is supporting breast cancer awareness with the sale of a special earring set. Sales from the earrings, which cost $2 and are available in stores and online, will go toward helping Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world's largest breast cancer organization and the largest source of non-profit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer.  

NEW YORK — Express is taking its brand of specialty retail apparel north of the border this September with the opening of its first location in Canada at Fairview Mall in Toronto.  

Birmingham, Ala. -- Hibbett Sports announced plans to open nine stores in October.

The locations are in Pine Bluff, Ark.; Louisville, Ky.; Ada and Grove, Okla.; Aiken, S.C.; Giddings and Nacogdoches, Texas; Grundy, Va.; and Hartford, Wis.
 

Short Hills, N.J. -- The Mall at Short Hills, in Short Hills, N.J., is now home to new retailers Omega and Pandora, which opened recently in the regional shopping center. Omega opened a flagship store near Nordstrom on the upper level, and jeweler Pandora opened on the lower level near Macy’s.

Fort Myers, Fla. -- Chico's FAS said Tuesday it has completed its previously announced acquisition of direct-to-consumer women’s apparel retailer Boston Proper.

"We appreciate the hard work that the Chico's FAS and Boston Proper teams put forth to complete this transaction in near record time,” said David F. Dyer, president and CEO of Chico’s FAS. “I see it as indicative as to how well Boston Proper fits with the Chico's FAS family of brands."

San Jose, Calif. -- Online auctioneer eBay said Monday it has launched a virtual outlet mall in the United States it is calling Fashion Outlet.

The virtual mall will allow users to access discounted apparel and accessories across brands and retailer banners. Featured brands and banners include BCBG, Neiman Marcus, Brooks Brothers, Last Call and Timberland.

According to eBay’s head of global fashion Miriam Lahage, the company is leveraging the burgeoning popularity of the outlet category as the fastest-growing retail channel.

NEW YORK — Tiffany & Co. said Thursday it plans to open a store in New York’s SoHo neighborhood in September 2012.

The 7,000-sq.-ft. store will occupy a space that combines two locations -- 97 Greene Street and 106 Wooster Street. 

The 2012 opening corresponds to Tiffany’s 175th anniversary of its founding on Lower Broadway in the 1850s.

Boston -- City Sports will open its 19th store, in Wellesley, Mass., during the last week of September. The location features a dramatic façade, with a wraparound steel awning and tall windows that showcase the interior design and product assortment. Inside, an interactive electronics room offers shoppers the use of in-store iPads to access information about products on the company's website as well as the ability to wear-test headphones

Philadelphia -- Destination Maternity Corp. announced the opening of two namesake stores and two shop-in-shops in South Korea.

The freestanding locations, in the cities of Koyang and DaeJeon, are the chain’s first stores in South Korea and were opened by partner Agabang & Co.

NEW YORK — Consumers are spending more, but doing so in fewer transactions, according to American Express Business Insights’ most recent Business Insights Spend Sights report.

The study, which examines spending patterns across several key categories, U.S. cities and demographic groups, finds that while economic uncertainty continues to dampen overall consumer confidence, a new pattern of less frequent but measurable splurging has become evident among a range of customer groups in several categories.