Footwear

New York -- A big acquisition of a luxury shoe brand helped Coach top analysts’ fourth quarter earnings forecasts even as its sales and income fell.

Coach’s fourth-quarter net income plunged 84.4% to $11.7 million, down from $75.2 in the year-ago period. Excluding one-time charges, Coach said its net income came in at $85 million, or 31 cents per share, beating the analyst consensus by two cents.

Coach said Stuart Weitzman, which it acquired earlier this year, helped to boost its earnings.

New York -- An upscale men’s footwear brand has opened its first flagship, on Madison Avenue in Manhattan.

Ibex Construction, New York-based firm specializing in high-end retail and corporate construction, has completed the first flagship boutique for Italian luxury brand Louis Leeman. The new retail space is modeled to resemble a classic Parisian home with a modern update featuring an antique marble fireplace, contemporary couches with lavish velvet cushions and custom interior designs that create an ambiance of sophisticated elegance.

Canton, Mass. -- A Rockport veteran is returning to head up the company he left more than 30 years ago.

On Monday, investment firm Berkshire Partners and New Balance Holding completed their acquisition of The Rockport Company from the Adidas Group. As part of the transaction, New Balance affiliate Drydock Footwear will join with Rockport to form The Rockport Group. Bob Infantino was named CEO of the reorganized company.

New York -- Foot Locker has named a digital head from Target Corp. to head up its technology efforts.

The specialty athletic retailer named Pawan Verma as senior VP and CIO, effective Aug. 10. He joins Foot Locker from Target, where he has worked since 2013, most recently serving as VP, digital and marketing technologies and services platforms.

Verma succeeds Peter Brown, who retired in April after 38 years with the company.

Pittsburgh – Who said women don’t like sports? Dick’s Sporting Goods certainly never said so.

Dick’s is launching Chelsea Collective, a specialty women's fitness and lifestyle boutique. The first two Chelsea Collective locations will open in August 2015 in Tysons Corner, Virginia at Tysons Corner Center and Pittsburgh at Ross Park Mall.

Saks Fifth Avenue is putting its best foot forward in a hot category.

The retailer plans to open its first-ever stand-alone 10022-SHOE store in Greenwich, Conn. Expected to open in fall 2016, the new 14,000 square-foot location at 20 East Elm Street will be dedicated to women’s footwear and will be just a short distance from the existing Saks Fifth Avenue location in downtown Greenwich.

Foot Locker Inc. has chosen a new IT chief to drive the company's next generation of technological advances.

The retailer has appointed Pawan Verma as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, effective Aug. 10. Verma succeeds Peter Brown, who retired in April after 38 years with the company.
Verma will oversee the company's global information technology functions and infrastructure, and provide leadership and vision to align technology with strategic business initiatives. 

The power of Bass Pro Shops’ brand of retail was evident at the company’s newest store opening this week as shoppers were undeterred by a massive traffic jam and a lack of parking, which forced some grand opening attendees to walk nearly a mile for a look inside.

For the shoppers who did make it to the store before the doors swung open at 6:30 p.m., onlookers were treated to a host of celebrity appearances on a stage erected in the front parking lot, including:

Fast-fashion giant H&M is adding another set of initials to its aggressive expansion plans. 

New York -- Saks Fifth Avenue is going to open a freestanding store dedicated to a hot category.

The department store retailer plans to open a shoe store in Greenwich, Connecticut, in fall 2016, Women’s Wear Daily reported.

The store, whose name has not yet been revealed, will be located close to an existing Saks Fifth Avenue store, which will no longer sell shoes.

The new format will be modeled after Saks’ in-store 10022 shoe department, according to the report.