Jewelry

New York -- Prudential Douglas Elliman's Retail Group said it has orchestrated a long-term lease for the first Armani Junior standalone flagship in the United States at 1225 Madison Avenue, on the northeast corner at 88th Street in Manhattan.      

Neighboring retailers along the corridor include Brooks Brothers, Ankasa, Jacadi, Rachel Riley, J.Crew, Buckhouse, Jack Rogers, Joie, Koos, Intimacy, Ann Crabtree, Rose Pope Maternity and The Shoe Box.

San Francisco -- Westfield announced that Tiffany will open on level 1 of the center, next to Bloomingdale’s, in fall 2012.

The luxury jewelry will join just-opened tea purveyor Teavana, Danish footwear retailer Ecco and men’s apparel store Henri Hubert San Francisco.

Chocolate house Ghirardelli will open a new store -- Chirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop -- in April, and Marbles: The Brain Store will open in the summer.

Francesca’s Collection is under construction.

Dallas -- Alliance Data Systems Corp. has signed a multi-year renewal agreement to continue managing the private label credit card program for duty-free jewelry retailer Little Switzerland.

Louis Vuitton Island Maison, part of the Marina Bay Sands resort complex in Singapore, represents the ultimate in luxury retail destinations. The striking crystal and glass structure, which sits directly on the water, was awarded top honors in the Association for Retail Environments’ (A.R.E.) design competition. It features the entire the complete Louis Vuitton offering, from its men's and women's collections to jewelry and accessories. It also houses a bookstore with a curated selection of books on travel, design, art and culture.

Bloomfield Hills, Mich. -- Taubman Centers on Thursday announced the opening of City Creek Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Thousands of visitors attended the grand opening of the only regional shopping center to open in the United States this year. 

According to the International Council of Shopping Centers, City Creek Center is the first enclosed regional shopping center to open in the United States in six years.

No surprise that traffic to retail websites falls off appreciably in February after the big holiday surge, but Target really took it on the chin and nearly fell out of online measurement firm comScore’s ranking of the top 50 U.S. Web properties.

New York City -- Tiffany reported Tuesday that its fourth-quarter profit slipped to $178.4 million from $181.2 million last year. Revenue met expectations, rising nearly 8% to $1.19 billion.

For the year, net earnings surged 19% to $439 million, and sales rose 18% to $3.6 billion.

The jewelry retailer said it plans to open 24 new stores in 2012, including nine in the Americas, seven in Asia-Pacific, three in Europe and five in the United Arab Emirates. It plans nine new stores in 2013.

Seattle -- Online diamond and fine jewelry retailer Blue Nile announced the appointment of Harvey Kanter as CEO and president, effective March 30. Kanter will also be appointed to Blue Nile's board of directors, effective March 30.

Prior to joining Blue Nile, Kanter served as president and chief executive of Moosejaw Mountaineering and Backcountry Travel, a multichannel retailer of premium outdoor apparel and gear. Before Moosejaw, he served as executive VP and managing director of Michaels Stores.

Alabama’s number-one shopping destination can now say that it is not only getting a new Von Maur department store, but also a full-scale renovation.

General Growth Properties and Jim Wilson & Associates’ Riverchase Galleria, located in Hoover, Ala., has unveiled a massive redevelopment project that will include expansive updates, modernization, and enhancement of both the interior and the exterior of the property.

Schaumburg, Ill. -- GoldMax USA, which specializes in buying gold and precious metals from consumers, announced Tuesday that it plans to open up to 100 new stores in the United States in 2012, adding to its current 200+ store total.

The retailer debuted in Texas with the recent opening of two stores in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area, and another two will open in the next 30 to 60 days.

GoldMax opened its first Minnesota store (in Roseville) as well, and is under way with a new store at the Mall of America in Bloomington.