Footwear

Shoppers at select Nordstrom locations can design their own shoes at the retailer’s in-store Shoes of Prey design studio.

The shops, which are located within Nordstrom’s shoe department, include a wall display that showcases the different styles available for customizing. Using mounted touch-screen tablets with 3D software, shoppers design their own shoes, selecting the style, color, material, heel height and embellishments.

Saks Fifth Avenue has another store to its lineup at Brookfield Place in downtown Manhattan.

The retailer, a division of Hudson’s Bay Company, said it will open a 16,750-sq.-ft. dedicated men’s store at the center, in spring 2017. As previously announced, Saks will open an 85,000-sq.-ft. full line store at Brookfield Place.

Three City Sports stores are being given a new lease on life.

Modell’s Sporting Goods has acquired three prime Northeast locations from City Sports, which filed for bankruptcy protection in October 2015 and subsequently announced plans to close all its stores. Beginning in early 2016, the stores, which range from 7,500 sq. ft. - 9,000 sq. ft. and are located in Philadelphia, Boston and Washington, D.C., will start to transition to the Modell’s format.

Sweaty Betty, the London-based athleisure brand, is gearing up for expansion in the United States.

The retailer named Erika Serow president and CEO of its U.S. business, effective Jan. 18, Women’s Wear Daily reported. Serow has served as retail practice leader for the Americas region for Bain & Co. since 2013, with a focus on the apparel sector. She started at Bain in 1995.

Mahwah, N.J. – It took close to a year, but Ann Inc., owner of the Ann Taylor and Loft banners, has followed the wishes of major shareholders including Engine Capital LP and Red Alder LLC and agreed to an approximate $2.15 billion buyout from specialty apparel rival Ascena Retail Group Inc. Ascena, whose store brands include Lane Bryant and Dressbarn, will acquire Ann Inc. for $47 in cash and stock per share, a 21% premium over Ann Inc.’s May 15 closing price.

Forever 21 is growing its its lower-priced format, F21 RED.

The chain has opened three new stores, with locations in Brooklyn, New York; San Diego, California and Kendall, Florida. The Brooklyn store is 35,000 sq. ft., while the San Diego and Kendall locations are more than 20,000 sq. ft.

Forever 21 launched F21 RED, which carries merchandise for men, women and children, in the first quarter of 2014. There are currently more than 20 F21 locations in the United States.

Denton, Texas -- The Weitzman Group announced it’s brokered a deal with Francesca's for 1,200 sq. ft. of retail space in Golden Triangle Mall, located in Denton, Texas. This will be Francesca’s first location in Denton.

Blake Shipp with the Commercial Retail Division of The Weitzman Group and Paul Burridge with MGHerring Group handled negotiations for the mall. Robert J. Wright with Collett Southwest represented the retailer.

A merchant that grew from a small boutique in West Hollywood with a celebrity clientele to a multi-store operation is going out of business.

Kitson announced that it is closing its 17 stores, which are located in California, Oregon and Nevada. As of December 11, its e-commerce site had already been shut down.

Sam Edelman has opened a 2,500-sq.-ft. store at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Designed by Dagnell Folger of Architecture + Information, the store stays true to the Sam Edelman aesthetic with a mix of materials that includes reclaimed wood and raw concrete with rose-colored brass and black leather.

Hints of the brand’s signature shade of green provide a pop of color. Vintage furniture pieces — curated by Sam Edelman himself — are mixed throughout for a personal touch.

Douglas Tompkins, co-founder of The North Face and an ardent conservationist and outdoorsman, died following a kayaking accident in his adopted country of Chile. Tomkins, 72, was the co-founder of two clothing companies that would grow into multi-billion dollar enterprises. In addition to North Face, he was a co-founder, along with his wife at the time, of Esprit. “He flew airplanes, he climbed to the top of mountains all over the world,” his daughter Summer Tompkins Walker told the New York Times.