Footwear

Somerville, Mass. – Merlin Entertainments has reportedly broken ground on a new Legoland Discovery Center location at the 50-acre, mixed-use Assembly Row development in Somerville, Mass. According to the Boston Globe, the 44,000-sq.-ft. store will open in May 2014.

The store will be the only Legoland location in New England and employ about 100 people. Other retailers planning to open stores at Assembly Row include Nike, Brooks Brothers, Chico’s, and J.P. Licks.

Columbus, Ohio - On Oct. 14, 2013, shareholders of DSW Inc. approved a two-for-one stock split of DSW's common shares, along with approving an increase in the number of Class A common shares authorized for issuance. The company plans to effect the stock split on Nov. 2, 2013, by filing an amendment to its articles of incorporation.  

New York -- J.Crew ranked No. 1 overall in customer service in September for the third consecutive month, in a monthly survey by StellaService, the independent ratings provider that ranks online retailers according to their customer service. StellaService measures companies monthly across four service areas: phone, email, shipping and returns.

Here is a look at the top finishers in the four individual categories:

Centreville, Va. — Sleepy’s The Mattress Professionals has opened a 6,700-sq.-ft. store in Centreville Square II on Lee Highway in Centreville, Va.

A.J. Dwoskin represented the landlord in the lease negotiations. Centreville Square II is a 200,366-sq.-ft. neighborhood center. Current tenants include Party Depot, Five Guys, Wells Fargo, Hair Cuttery and The UPS Store.

Benicia, Calif. — Cycle Gear has announced the opening of its first New York State store in Hicksville. With this new location, Cycle Gear has stores in 31 states. Company officials said this is the first of many planned stores in New York.

Employee-owned and enthusiast-driven, Cycle Gear is an active member of the riding community, sponsoring local events and working with new and experienced riders to help them find just the right gear.

Stride Rite Children's Group, a leading marketer of children's footwear brands, is partnering with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to help families stay safe while trick-or-treating this Halloween season.  

Stride Rite offers a wide variety of comfortable shoes, featuring everything from Star Wars to Captain American, which complement Halloween costumes. Stride Rite also offers a variety of styles, from Spider-Man to Disney Princesses, which incorporate unique light-up technology to help trick-or-treaters stand out on Halloween night.

St. Louis – Famous Footwear free app for iPhone and Android. The new app offers shoppers instant access to savings they can earn through Famous Footwear’s Rewards program, as well as exclusive mobile discounts and offers. The app allows users to plan, shop and track their purchases, and redeem their Rewards points from their mobile device.

Niwot, Colo. -- Former Wal-Mart executive Greg Sullivan has been appointed general manager of Crocs' Americas region, which includes all of North America, Central America and South America. In this role, Sullivan will be responsible for managing the region's day-to-day operations, including overseeing sales, marketing, finance and human resources functions, as well as the region's wholesale, Internet and direct-to-consumer channels.

Casual footwear manufacturer Crocs has appointed former Walmart executive Greg Sullivan as the company’s general manager for the Americas region. The region encompasses North, Central and South America.

In his new role, Sullivan will be responsible for managing the region's day-to-day operations, including overseeing sales, marketing, finance and human resources functions, as well as the region's wholesale, internet and direct-to-consumer channels.

Famous Footwear has unveiled a free app for iPhone and Android that offers shoppers instant access to savings they can earn through Famous Footwear’s rewards program, as well as exclusive mobile discounts and offers. The app allows users to plan, shop and track their purchases, and redeem their rewards points from their mobile device.