Footwear

Nordstrom is continuing to grow its footprint in Canada.     The retailer on Friday opened its store at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, the company's second international flagship location since opening at Pacific Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, last fall.     

Smithfield Properties has sold five properties in Chicago to the Acadia Realty Trust for $150 million, reported the deal’s broker, Mid-America Real Estate Corp.   The properties were:   • North Kingsbury Center on the corner of North Avenue and North Kingsbury Street, with tenants including Old Navy, Pier 1 Imports, Blick Art Materials, and Modani Furniture.  

Flip Flop Shops is expanding in both the physical and online channels.   The company, which was acquired by Cherokee Global Brands last year, is introducing a new “super kiosk” format. Measuring approximately 300 sq. ft. and built in the shape of a giant flip flop, the concept is slated for national rollout. It is designed to offer a nimble and novel format expansion to Flip Flop Shops’ retail presence.  

The Lands' End experience has arrived in the SoHo section of Manhattan.   Lands' End opened an 8,000-sq.-ft., two-floor temporary store, at 580 Broadway, featuring men's, women's and kids' apparel, footwear and accessories from the fall, holiday and winter along with a variety of personalization services and experiences.    

A 25-year-old outlet center in East Naples, Florida, is undergoing an extensive facelift and seeking new retail blood, according to Crossman & Company, which has just been signed as its leasing agent.

Once filled with shoppers, the Naples Outlet Center has dropped in recent years due to an economic downturn in the area, according the Naples Daily News.  In 2014, nearly half of its 40 stores were vacant.

Stuart Wetizman’s new service is connecting loyal shoppers with their “solemates.”

Called "The Ultimate Boot Guide,” the luxury footwear brand’s new digital service assists shoppers as they the hunt for their “perfect pair of boots” among more than 70 boot styles available this season on Stuartweitzman.com.

Construction has begun on a 240,000-sq.-ft expansion of the Staten Island Mall, the largest shopping center in the New York City borough.   The multi-phase project will take two years to complete, and will add some 75,000 sq. ft. of space to Macy’s plus 40,000 sq. ft. for a new Dave & Busters and a 12-option food court. A new wing with a three-level parking deck is destined for one side of the General Growth Properties mall.  

Just in time to lead the company’s next growth phase, Shoes.com has appointed Bradley Wilson as president.    Most recently, Wilson served as general manager at Expedia, in charge of the Travelocity business. Before that, he served as CMO at Travelocity, growing it to a multi-billion dollar travel marketplace that was successfully sold to Expedia in 2014. He has also held senior management roles at both Nutrisystem and Match.com during their respective and explosive growth years.   

Tory Burch is expanding its fledgling new retail format.   The company will open a 2,060-sq.-ft.  Tory Sport store at Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota, in late October.    Tory Sport, which launched in 2015, currently has a store in Manhattan’s Flatiron District and another in East Hampton, New York. In addition to the upcoming Mall of America store, it will open a location in Dallas, also this fall.  

The ability to scale solutions as a means of meeting customer expectations is the name of the game in omnichannel success.    By adding a new cloud-based retail suite, DSW is modernizing its back-office applications, and adding a new level of flexibility, security and innovation required in an always-evolving omnichannel landscape.