Jewelry

David Yurman has opened his first boutique on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.    Conceived by the Yurmans, the 3,250-sq.-ft. space reflects the brand's aesthetic and the family's unique artistic expression, and has a two-story historical façade that was maintained and restored to its original condition. The entrance lobby features a heritage wall that visually narrates the Yurmans' journey from art to jewelry with examples of David's early sculptures and wearable art pieces alongside more current designs.

Boll & Branch, until now an online-only seller of towels and linens, has opened its first brick-and-mortar location at the Short Hills Mall in New Jersey.   Claiming to sell the “World’s Most Comfortable Sheets,” Boll & Branch also offers towels and will inhabit a 2,137-sq.-ft. shop at the high-end, suburban mall known as one of the few to house Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, and Macy’s under one roof.  

Signet Jewelers Limited is acquiring a fast-growing and innovative e-commerce company.   Signet, whose banners include Kay Jewelers and Zales, said that it has agreed to acquire R2Net, owner of online jewelry retailer JamesAllen.com, for $328 million in an all cash transaction. R2Net also owns Segoma Imaging Technologies, a technology provider for the jewelry industry.   

Liquidation efforts took a toll on J.C. Penney in its second quarter, which reported earnings and same-store sales below estimates.    Penney's net loss widened to $62 million in the quarter ended July 29, or 20 cents per share, from $56 million, or 18 cents per share, in the year-ago period.   

After a torrid opening quarter, Macy's second quarter numbers come as a relief. Certainly, a same-store sales decline of 2.8% is far from good, but it is one of the better performances Macy's has turned in over recent periods. Of course, the question is whether this gentler decline represents a genuine turning point for Macy's, or whether it is simply a bottoming out after years of sharp deterioration.  

Macy's appears to be making some headway in its turnaround efforts, reporting second quarter sales and profit that topped estimates. But the retailer still reaffirmed its downbeat guidance for the year.    Net income increased to $116.0 million, or 38 cents per share, up from $11.0 million, or 3 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted earnings per share was 48 cents.  

The Ivanka Trump brand is making its second foray into freestanding retail.   The company will open a location in Trump Tower on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue this fall, giving the tourists who visit the site a chance to buy Ivanka Trump-branded merchandise, Bloomberg reported.    The brand previously had a jewelry shop in Manhattan, which closed in 2015. It also shuttered its only other location, a luxury shop in Beijing.  

In 2016, Chain Store Age unveiled its first-ever SPECS Ambassadors Club, created to recognize selected retail executives who have made significant contributions to the industry and to SPECS. Produced by CSA, SPECS is attended by retail and food-service executives who plan, design, build, and maintain stores and restaurants nationwide.  

Anthropologie has brought its large format retail concept, Anthropologie & Co., to the new Bedford Square development in downtown Westport, Connecticut.    The 35,000-sq.-ft. store boasts dedicated spaces for clothing, footwear, furniture, jewelry, home decor, and more — accented with one-of-a-kind decor from the retailer's talented visual team. It also features a beauty boutique and wedding gown department.  

Sales per square foot are declining across the board. But some retailers continue to pull in hefty revenue.    The No. 1 retailer in terms of sales per square foot is Apple Inc., which does a staggering $5,546 per square foot, according to research provided by CoStar.