Jewelry

In the June 9 edition of SiteTalk, we referenced a survey that found Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to be the most expensive place in the world to operate a store -- and asked you if it was worth the expense. Here is what one reader had to say.

SAN FRANCISCO — Williams-Sonoma that its board of directors has elected Rose Marie Bravo to the board.

Town Center at Boca Raton, in Boca Raton, Fla., has launched a redesign of its food court that will see it re-emerge as The Cafes at Boca.

New York City -- Kenneth Cole Productions announced that effective June 20, 2011, Paul Blum will be appointed to the position of CEO. Kenneth Cole will continue as chairman and chief creative officer, maintaining his creative role over design and advertising.

Hired in March as vice chairman, Blum brings over 25 years of experience in footwear, accessories, apparel, wholesaling and retailing to the position. He most recently held the position of CEO at luxury jewelry company David Yurman.
 

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Nearly half (48%) of retailers do not offer product ratings or reviews on their website, according to a survey by CrossView, a provider of cross-channel commerce solutions.

New York City -- Luxury, high-end jewelry and e-commerce enjoyed strong growth in May, as did the restaurant category, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, which tracks national retail and services sales. Apparel also continued to show gains, the report found, while housing-related sectors such as furniture, electronics and appliances all saw sales decline compared with the same period in 2010.

Boca Raton, Fla. — Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group announced that Ann Taylor will open a new store at its Town Center at Boca Raton development in Boca Raton, Fla.

The retailer’s first new-concept store in Palm Beach County, the space features a runway of mannequins running down the middle of the store as well as a series of shops-within-shops.

New York — Tiffany & Co. said Thursday its first-quarter profit rose 25% on higher revenue across all regions worldwide. The results beat expectations and the company raised its forecast for the year above current Wall Street estimates.

Tiffany net income rose to $81.1 million for the three months ended April 30, up from $64.4 million a year earlier.

Revenue jumped 20% to $761 million from $633.6 million last year, sharply higher than analyst predictions of $702.6 million.

Dallas — Zale Corp. said its net loss shrank in its most recent quarter and posted a double-digit revenue gain despite increasing costs for gold, silver and diamonds. The company posted a net loss for the three months that ended on April 30 of $9 million, compared to $12.1 million in its fiscal third quarter last year. Analysts had expected a far deeper loss.

Overall revenue rose 14.5% in the three months that ended on April 30 to $411.8 million, from $359.8 million last year. Analysts had expected $392 million. Same-store sales in the quarter were up 15.2%.

Rochester Hills, Mich. -- Birmingham, Mich.-based Robert B. Aikens & Associates LLC announced the addition of two new tenants, Portrait Innovations and Flat Top Grill, to its Village of Rochester Hills lifestyle center project in Rochester Hills, Mich.  

The Village of Rochester Hills Portrait Innovations location, which opened May 10th, is the company’s eighth store in Michigan.  Flat Top Grill will replace Baja Fresh as one of the center’s nine eating establishments.