Apparel

New York -- Jones New York stores won’t be shutting out the lights up north.

Canadian menswear retailer Grafton Fraser Inc. has acquired Jones New York’s 35 stores in Canada for an undisclosed amount. The Toronto-based company said it is planning "significant growth" in the number of Jones stores going forward.

TJX has been on a growth and revenue spree of late, and now the off-price retailer is apparently looking to expand down under.

New York – Although overall back-to-school shopping is starting later in 2015 than the prior year, online back-to-school shoppers are getting an earlier start than their brick-and-mortar counterparts. According to a new trend report on back-to-school shopping from Internet marketing agency PM Digital, 30% of online shoppers will start buying back-to-school items at least two months before school starts, compared to 22% of overall shoppers.

The CEO of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. says sales and earnings are growing at the California-based retailer despite the recreational impacts of the drought in that state.

Columbia Sportswear’s retail aspirations arrived in South Florida in the form of a new 5,600-sq.-ft. concept store called Performance Fishing Gear.

Las Vegas -- Those familiar blue composite panels are going up in Las Vegas.

Ikea announced that steel framing has progressed far enough that installation of the iconic blue panels has begun on its future Las Vegas store. Installing the blue panels is a construction milestone that ensures the 351,000-sq.-ft. store will open summer 2016, and it reflects the unique architectural design for which Ikea stores are known worldwide.

This back-to-school season Old Navy is asking kids at Boys & Girls Clubs around the country what it means to be #Unlimited.