Apparel

Necessity is the predominant motivation behind shoe purchasing for men, and their brand loyalty is strong and steady, according to Men’s Footwear Brand Focus Study 2014, the latest report from global information provider, The NPD Group.

This attitude, however, shows signs of evolving, given that men are increasingly embracing fashion and newness in their footwear.

Nordstrom is partnering with Curalate to launch Like2Buy, a platform that aims to offer consumers a more seamless shopping experience via Instagram.

Walldorf, Germany – Retailers should consider waiting until August to launch back-to-school promotions and focus them heavily on online shoppers. According to new data from SAP, consumer sentiment toward back-to-school advertising doesn’t become positive till the end of July.

Columbus, Ohio – Express Inc. will be using Rich Media Messaging (RMM) technology from Iris Mobile to drive the fashion retailer’s seasonal “Back-to-Business” sweepstakes campaign with GQ Magazine. A combination of both a participant-based sweepstakes and a voting-based contest, this campaign will award one emerging startup entrepreneur with a grant from Express based on public votes.

New York – Ann Inc. is being urged to explore options, including a sale, by activist investor Engine Capital and Red Alder. The two firms, who collectively own more than 1% of the outstanding shares of Ann Inc., are publicly urging the company to sell at a substantial premium above current stock price.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – ShopYourWay, the digital loyalty, marketing and shopping platform of Sears and Kmart, is partnering with YouTube celebrities Ricky Dillon and Jenn McCallister. The two social media stars will serve as “curators of cool” on the Shop Your Way site.

Dillon and McCalister collaborated with Shop Your Way to deliver their first semester fashion picks, creating catalogs members can like, follow and share. They have nearly 10 million fans combined on social media networks such as YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group recently introduced its U.S. e-commerce site, 11Main.com. Like its parent company Alibaba, 11 Main operates by letting other retailers and businesses sell goods through its platform in exchange for a small portion of the proceeds. 11 Main offers shops in a variety of categories including fashion & style, home & outdoor, jewelry & watches, baby & kids, collecting & art, and crafts, hobbies & toys. Buying and/or selling goods on 11 Main requires an invitation.

New York -- Toms, the footwear company best known for donating a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair it sells, has sold a 50% stake in its company to private equity giant Bain Capital LLC. The investment will help Toms expand its distribution in Europe, Asia and in the United States, including increasing its store count from its current two locations.

The investment reportedly values Toms at about $625 million, including debt. Blake Mycoskie, who founded Toms in 2006, will retain a 50% stake and remain at the helm.

New York -- Saks Fifth Avenue will open a three-level, 107,000-sq.-ft. store in Brickell City Centre, Miami.

The store, scheduled to open in fall 2016, will help anchor the mixed-use development, which is currently under construction. The project includes residential, office and hotel space, along with a 565,000-sq.-ft. shopping center.

Seattle -- Nordstrom announced today the closing of its acquisition of Trunk Club, a leading personalized clothing service for men.
 
The company previously announced its proposed acquisition of Trunk Club by press release on July 31.