Apparel

There is no substitute for a strong brand — whatever the sales channel. That’s the basic underlying premise of Interbrand’s annual “Best Retail Brands” report, which ranks the top 50 North American and international retailers by brand value. It’s a premise worth keeping in mind amid all the online versus offline talk. As Interbrand global CEO Jez Frampton puts it: “In the end, it is the brand, not the footprint, that will endure.”

Nearly two months after Sears set it free, Lands' End has named Steven Rado as SVP, chief marketing officer.

Rado will guide a team of 50 professionals across marketing operations including consumer insights, forecasting and analytics, catalog, digital marketing, customer acquisition, e-commerce, public relations and advertising.

Similar to the overall retail sector, HSN’s first quarter results were affected by severe weather across the country, as well as softness in women's apparel, particularly at Garnet Hill. The company did report improved performance at HSNi, as demand strengthened throughout March.

Bauer Performance Sports, a leading designer and manufacturer of high performance sports equipment and apparel, has appointed Karyn O. Barsa as an independent director of the company.

Barsa has led numerous global premium brands and has been a member of the board of directors of Deckers Outdoor Corporation since 2008. Barsa served as the CEO at Coyuchi, from 2009-13 and has also served as the CEO of Investor's Circle and Smith & Hawken.

New York -- Uniqlo will continue its expansion in the United States by entering the Los Angeles market. The Japanese retail powerhouse announced it will open five stores in the Los Angeles area, starting in August, at South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, followed by a location at Glendale Galleria, Glendale, in September.
   
In October, the company will open at the Beverly Center, Los Angeles, and Northridge Fashion Center, Northridge. In spring 2015, Uniqlo will open a store at Los Cerritos Center in Cerritos.  

Seattle - Tommy Bahama has selected customer experience management (CEM) software from Medallia to help better understand and improve customer experience. Using Medallia¹s real-time CEM software, Tommy Bahama will build the vendor’s “Voice of the Customer (VoC)” customer feedback and reporting program into its operations to improve customer experience and drive loyalty.

Houston, Texas — Baker Katz has acquired four retail properties throughout the greater Houston area — in the neighboring cities of Port Arthur, Lake Jackson, Beaumont and Tomball.

The Port Arthur property is a 90,000-sq.-ft., single-tenant building purchased from the Sutherland Lumber Co. for an undisclosed amount. Baker Katz plans to renovate the building and convert it to a multi-tenant space. Hobby Lobby has signed a 58,000-sq.-ft. lease, and Party City has signed a lease for 13,000 sq. ft.

Eleven centers opened last year, with 50 more on the drawing boards

The recession lit the fuse that has produced an explosion of outlet center development.

360pi, a leader in retail price and product intelligence, has unveiled the latest generation of its 360comparables solution targeted to address the unique challenges and opportunities presented by private label brands.