Apparel

Palladin Consumer Retail Partners takes major investment in Harrys of London
Boston -- Palladin Consumer Retail Partners announced a majority investment in Harrys of London, a London-based luxury shoemaker and accessories house known for combining traditional craftsmanship with the latest footwear technology. The Palladin investment will provide Harrys with capital to expand its operating team, open additional retail stores and invest in new initiatives to fund growth including marketing, merchandising, product development, and e/m-commerce.
Construction complete on Azalea Regional Shopping Center
South Gate, Calif. -- Construction on the Nadel-designed Azalea Regional Shopping Center is now complete, bringing a new 32-acre retail hub to the city of South Gate, Calif. Located at 4635 Firestone Blvd., and owned by Primestor Development, Inc., the project includes more than 370,000 sq. ft. of retail space and 37 stores.

Retail vet Michael Rayden, CEO of tween-brand Justice, to retire in January

Mahwah, N.J. -- Michael Rayden, president and CEO of Ascena Retail Group’s tween apparel brands Justice and Brothers, and a member of the Ascena board, is retiring at the end of Jan. 2015. Ascena has tapped Herbert Mines Associates to start a global search for a president and CEO of Justice and Brothers.
The Finish Line names Sato president

Indianapolis -- Samuel M. Sato, formerly president, Finish Line brand, has been named as president, The Finish Line Inc. The board of directors also elected him to the board, filling the Class II director position previously held by Bill Kirkendall.
Crocs shuffles management team

Niwot, Colo. -- Crocs Inc. is enacting several key management changes, including the appointment of Bob Munroe to general manager of Crocs Americas region; Greg Sullivan to the new role of senior VP of global business transformation; Scott Yuan to general manager of Greater China; and Michelle Poole to senior VP of global product creation and merchandising.
Action Services Group to provide Hancock Fabrics lighting maintenance

Aston, Penn.-- Actions Services Group, a national lighting maintenance, sign maintenance and electrical services company, will provide scheduled lighting maintenance for Hancock Fabrics, a specialty retailer of crafts and fabrics. The lighting maintenance program will include quarterly inspections and service to all 266 Hancock Fabrics store locations across 37 states and will cover interior store lighting and exterior canopy lighting maintenance.
Magento launches Fashion Partner Initiative

New York –- Magento, an EBay Enterprise company, has created the exclusive Fashion Partner Initiative. This program includes expert technology partners, system integrators, digital agencies and developers that can step in and act as an extension of a fashion retailer’s in-house team.
LaGuardia Airport upgrades stores in Terminal B

Queens, N.Y. -- Airport retail developer MarketPlace Development is opening new shops, restaurants and services as part of an overall plan to upgrade the Food & Shops program at Terminal B in LaGuardia Airport as planning continues on a new terminal.
HanesBrands makes tasty board appointment

Former Snyder’s-Lance CEO David V. Singer is the newest member of the board of directors at apparel manufacturer HanesBrands.

Singer, 59, joins the 10 member board through the 2015 annual meeting when directors stand for re-election. He will serve on the company’s audit committee.
Ascena’s “Tweenovator” to retire

Michael Rayden, an innovative merchant credited with developing retail concepts that catered to the tween demographic, has announced plans to step down as president and CEO of Ascena’s Justice and Brothers division.

Rayden will leave the company at the end of January 15 following a lengthy career in the apparel industry. Ascena said it has begun a global search for a successor.
QuantiSense acquired by Epicor

Epicor Software Corp. has agreed to acquire privately held QuantiSense, Inc., a provider of cloud and on-premises packaged analytic solutions for the retail industry. The acquisition of QuantiSense, expected to close by Oct. 31, 2014, will add QuantiSense business intelligence and advanced retail analytics offerings to the Epicor Retail solutions portfolio, helping empower users to leverage enterprise-wide data as actionable insights to optimize all aspects of their operations, from the supply chain through to multi-channel points of purchase.
Macy’s to help clothe the needy

Macy’s is committed to giving back this winter through its “Buy 1 & We’ll Give 1” effort. Through October 26, Macy’s will donate one coat, up to 50,000 coats, to Clothe4Souls for every coat purchased in the men’s, women’s, juniors’ and children’s departments in Macy’s stores and on macys.com.

The joy of giving will also be a joy of saving, as Macy’s will offer 30-50% discount on a large selection of men’s, women’s and children’s coats during the campaign.