Apparel

Despite positive performance through mid-June, the remainder of the second quarter proved more challenging for Ann Inc., prompting the company to reduce its outlook for the second quarter so it reflects lower-than-anticipated comparable sales and gross margin rate performance.  

President and CEO Kay Krill cited soft traffic across the industry and a highly promotional environment, but added that — despite delivering a positive comp for the quarter at Ann Taylor — a disappointing performance at Loft offset results.

Austin, Texas – Zales has the highest annual percentage rate (APR) on its private label card out of 61 U.S. retailers surveyed by CreditCards.com. According to the study, the retailers with the five highest maximum APRs are:

1. Zales, up to a 28.99% APR;
2. Office Depot Personal Credit, up to a 27.99% APR;
3. Staples Personal Account, up to a 27.99% APR;
4. My Best Buy, up to a 25.24% and 27.99% APR, depending on your credit score; and

San Francisco -- Banana Republic in late August will extend its digital reach as part of a select group of brands partnering with Instagram on paid advertising — a first-time amplification for the brand on the platform.

Livingston, New Jersey — The Fresh Market will open a 23,000-sq.-ft. store at The Village at Livingston (New Jersey), occupying a portion of the center’s former Pathmark store. The store is slated to open fall 2014.

The 93,000-sq.-ft. shopping center, which is managed and developed by Eastman Companies of Livingston, features tenants Olive Garden, GameStop, Wine Legend, Karate USA, Hudson City Savings and Zen Japanese Cuisine.

The shopping habits of today’s consumers have changed; retailers must be able to provide the product information they want through one or more of the marketing channels they may frequent — and all of those communications must be consistent with the physical in-store experience. That means new merchandising tactics are being embraced by industry leaders who are turning to digital signage to enhance the shopper experience and achieve competitive differentiation.

Charlotte, N.C. -- Belk Inc. has launched a digital back-to-school campaign with digital and social marketing platform provider HelloWorld. The campaign will run through Sept. 15.

The summer has brought with it a flurry of new store openings, from both established players and emerging online-offline stars. Check out the five below … and don’t miss the bonus at the end!

New York -- Uniqlo will make its Midwest debut in fall 2015, opening a flagship in downtown Chicago in fall 2015. The store, located at 830 North Michigan Avenue, will be Uniqlo’s second largest location in the United States, after its Fifth Avenue flagship in New York.