Accessories

A brand new women’s contemporary apparel and accessories brand with a French aesthetic is moving fast out of the starting gate.   

The Aldo Group is making strides on its digital transformation journey.   The retailer has launched a new responsive website and e-commerce platform that will integrate retail online, in-store and mobile channels. The move comes as Aldo transitions leadership, with company founder Aldo Bensadoun naming his son, David Bensadoun, as the new CEO earlier this month.  

It’s curtain time for Bebe Stores — or at least its brick-and-mortar operations.  

Walmart continues its online buying spree, but this time the target is a Web domain.   ShoeBuy.com, which Walmart acquired in January, has acquired the shoes.com domain name and related intellectual property for $9 million, according to documents filed with the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Bankruptcy and Insolvency. In an unexpected move, the Canada-based Shoes.com shut down its online sites and brick-and-mortar operations in January.   

Tough times have caught up with Rue 21.   The struggling teen apparel chain plans to close nearly 400 stores nationwide, the Associated Press reported. The shutterings will leave the retailer with about 700 stores nationwide.   Rue 21 confirmed the news in a post on its Facebook page, calling it a “difficult but necessary” decision.   

Walmart reportedly is about to make its fourth e-commerce acquisition in seven months as the chain continues to beef up its online arsenal and fashion offerings against Amazon.       The chain is in advanced discussions to acquire Bonobos, an e-commerce-driven apparel company that designs and sells upscale men’s clothing, according to Recode. Founded in 2007, the brand is known for its hip, stylish threads and expert fit.    

Uniqlo is set to open its third location in Canada.   The Japanese retail giant will open a two-level, 20,630-sq. ft. store at Metropolis at Metrotown, Burnaby, this fall. It will be Uniqlo’s first location in British Columbia, with the retailer’s other two Canadian stores in Toronto.   

Fashion retailer abof is breaking new ground by leveraging machine learning and natural language to better service its online shoppers.    Aditya Birla Online Fashion (abof) sells apparel, footwear and accessories for men and women, and has a strong millennial consumer base. Knowing this customer segment expects a highly convenient and distinctive customer service, abof needed a way to personalize its online experience.  

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. now has a way to get its fashions into the hands of its loyal shoppers in Southeast Asia — and fast.   Through a new wholesale agreement with Asia's leading online fashion destination Zalora, the teen apparel retailer will begin selling its Hollister merchandise through Zalora's online stores starting next week. The site will also begin offering Abercrombie & Fitch product later this month, according to Abercrombie & Fitch.  

Forever 21 announced a major expansion of its F21 Red division.   The fast-fashion retailer plans to open more than 40 F21 stores across the United States in 2017. The first three are scheduled to open in April, in San Antonio, Texas; Bronx, New York, and Chicago.   New locations will continue to open throughout the year in key cities, bringing the brand’s total store count to more than seventy locations by year-end.