Casual

Ross Stores is in the process of opening 23 Ross Dress for Less and seven dd's Discounts stores across 17 different states. The new locations are part of the off-price retailer's plans to add a total of 75 Ross and 20 dd's Discounts stores during 2014.

"These latest openings reflect our ongoing expansion strategy to fill in our presence in existing markets while also increasing penetration in our newer Midwest region where we added another eight Ross locations in July,” said Jim Fassio, president and chief development officer.

Loblaw, owner of the Joe Fresh brand, has promoted Mario Grauso to president of Joe Fresh. He was previously chief operating officer of the brand.

Grauso will continue to report to Joe Mimran, president of Joseph Mimran & Associates and creative director of Joe Fresh. In his new role, Grauso oversees business strategy, operations, marketing, international development, merchandising, sourcing and design functions at Joe Fresh.

New York – Uniqlo will open a store at Great Mall in Milpitas, California, on Sept. 12. The store will be the first Uniqlo location to feature a 100% eco-friendly design, with LED lighting, greener materials and high-efficiency elements throughout.

The new Uniqlo also include specialty shopping vignettes that will create a store-within-a-store feel in the women and children’s departments. In-store display materials will also include updated digital screens.

Uniqlo plans to open a store at Great Mall in Milpitas, California, on Sept. 12 — the first location to feature a 100% eco-friendly design, with LED lighting, greener materials and high-efficiency elements throughout.

The new store will also include specialty shopping vignettes that create a store-within-a-store feel in the women and children’s departments. In-store display materials will also include updated digital screens.

New York -- Fred Segal will unveil its first “international lifestyle center” concept in spring 2015, in Tokyo. The format will feature a collection of stores in three buildings in a converted railway site at 13 Daikanyama-cho Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. It will be Fred Segal’s first location outside the United States.

East Peoria, Ill. -- Cullinan Properties said that Noodles & Company will be opening a new restaurant in November at the Levee District in East Peoria, Illinois.

Hampshire Group signed a master supply agreement with Levi Strauss & Company in which Hampshire will supply knit shirts, woven shirts and sweaters to Dockers’ global business.

New Albany, Ohio - Abercrombie & Fitch Co. has initiated a process to refinance $500 million in existing credit facilities to two new facilities worth a total of $750 million. Proceeds are expected to be used to pay off a remaining $131.5 million balance and outstanding borrowings of $60 million related to existing credit facilities, and to pay related fees and expenses associated with the transaction.  

New Orleans Saints quarterback and Texas native Drew Brees will become mayor for the day of Comfort, Texas, on July 23 when the small town is temporarily renamed Advanced Comfort as part of a promotion for a new line of Wrangler jeans.

In celebration of the launch, Wrangler will kick off a community-based initiative striving to improve towns across America that begins on Wednesday, July 23, when the town of Comfort is renamed Advanced Comfort for six months.

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less will open two new stores in the Southeast on July 19th.  The store openings are in The Village on Pooler Parkway in Pooler, Georgia, and Dixie Valley Shopping Center in Southwest Louisville, Kentucky.  These new openings are part of the retailer’s 2014 expansion program, totaling approximately 75 new locations during the year.

Together, Ross Dress for Less and dd’s Discounts currently operate over 1,300 off-price apparel and home fashion stores in 33 states, the District of Columbia and Guam.