Footwear

As H&M braces for the opening of its first Arket store, it is already putting a plan in motion for its second location.   The fast-fashion chain announced in March that is plans to launch its new brand, Arket, in early fall. Arket, H&M’s first new brand in three years, will feature merchandise men, women and children, and a smaller, curated assortment of home goods.  

Payless ShoeSource is seeking bankruptcy court approval to close more stores.   The chain, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at the beginning of April, may close up to 408 more stores, according to the Chicago Tribune. Payless had originally said it planned to shutter nearly 400 underperforming locations.   

Hanna Andersson named a former top executive of Sears Holdings Corp. as the specialty retailer's next chief executive.  

Knowing efficient in-store fulfillment is key to omnichannel success, Browns Shoes has just taken a big step toward optimizing these orders.      Browns Shoes, a family-owned business established in Montreal in 1940, owns and operates more than 60 retail stores throughout Canada. When the retailer merged its e-commerce channel with its brick-and-mortar operations, Browns was ready to use its retail network as another fulfillment avenue.   

A tough February couldn't keep Tilly's down, which reported better-than-expected results for its first quarter.    The teen apparel and footwear retailer narrowed its loss in the first quarter to $161,000, or 1 cent a share, compared with a net loss of $2.7 million, or 10 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Its results were better than expected.    Net sales inched up 0.6% to $120.9 million, better easily beating the Street. Same-store sales rose 0.6%.  

Shoe Palace is moving into the cloud to enhance its omnichannel operations.   A preferred Nike retailer, Shoe Palace is known for its high-end athletic footwear and apparel, and top-notch customer service. The family-run business opened its first store in San Jose, California in 1993. Today, the company operates 118 stores nationwide, and an e-commerce site.   

Footwear retailer DSW Inc. fell short on earnings in its first quarter, even as it topped sales estimates.   Net income fell to $23 million, or 28 cents per share, below analyst expectations, from $30.0 million, or 36 cents a share, in the year-ago period. The company incurred pre-tax charges of $4.1 million, related to its acquisition of Ebuys, restructuring costs and foreign exchange loss assumed in the process of pre-funding the upcoming Town Shoes acquisition.   

Gymboree Corp. has tapped the former chief of Tilly’s executive as the children’s clothing retailer’s new CEO.  

Foot Locker posted weaker-than-expected earnings and sales for its first quarter after high promotional activity and getting off to a slow start in February.        Net income for the company's first quarter ended April 29, 2017 was $180 million, or $1.36 per share, compared with net income of $191 million, or $1.39 per share in the year-ago period.  

Harrys of London has a new owner with an interesting portfolio who wants to expand the brand.   The luxury footwear and accessories brand has been acquired by Charles S. Cohen, a New York real estate developer and media entrepreneur. Cohen, who acquired 100% interest in Harrys from Palladin Consumer Retail Partners, will assume the position of chairman. Palladin acquired a majority stake in Harrys in 2014.