Apparel

China -- China once again topped the A.T. Kearney’s 2013 Retail Apparel Index, which measures the market readiness of developing economies for international apparel retailers to enter. Other compelling expansion opportunities are offered by a number of countries from Latin America and the Middle East.

New York -- George Zimmer, the founder of Men's Wearhouse Inc., resigned from the company board of directors on Monday, according to a letter he sent the board, which was obtained by Reuters.
   
Last week, Zimmer was fired as the company's executive chairman. On Monday he submitted a letter resigning from the board. In the letter, Zimmer said it was "clear" he was fired by the board "to avoid addressing my growing concerns with recent board decisions."

Washington, D.C. -- Combined Properties and its joint venture partner Saban Capital Group have acquired The Terraces, a 173,000-sq.-ft. community shopping center in Rancho Palos Verdes, a suburb of Los Angeles. Spread across three terraced levels, center retailers include Trader Joe’s, Marshalls, LA Fitness and Starlight Cinemas.

The joint venture between Combined Properties and Saban Capital Group is assembling a $200 million portfolio of value-add retail centers in Southern California and the Washington, D.C., metro market.

Redwood Shores, Calif. -- Coldwater Creek has deployed Oracle Retail’s suite of integrated merchandise planning and optimization solutions as part of a strategic initiative to increase full-price selling and improve the productivity and profitability of store, online and catalog channels. The women’s apparel retailer is using the new planning solutions to reduce aged inventory and ensure that popular items are consistently in stock.

New York -- Men’s apparel and accessories chain Jos. A. Bank Clothiers has confirmed that it is on the hunt for acquisitions to drive growth. The company has retained Financo LLC to assist it in its search.

“As part of its evaluation of strategic opportunities, the company has been and will continue to selectively seek potential acquisitions that are strategically sound and accretive in the long run,” Jos. A. Bank said in a statement. “No timetable has been set for any acquisition.”

Fort Worth, Texas -- The 15.5-acre Longview Plaza power center has been acquired by Morris-Floyd Capital Partners. Located in Longview, Texas, the property is 100% leased.

Anchors include Bed, Bath & Beyond, T.J. Maxx, Michael’s, Office Depot, Best Buy and Books-A-Million. Sperry Van Ness brokered the sale. Longview Plaza Ltd. was the seller.

New York -- The Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh that killed more than 1,100 people highlights the serious risks that labor conditions can pose not only to workers, but also to organizations’ reputations, supply chains, and bottom lines, according to a report by global insurance broking and risk management firm Marsh.

NEW YORK — Saks Fifth Avenue and the Entertainment Industry Foundation have named actress Jennifer Aniston as the EIF ambassador for Saks Fifth Avenue’s 2013 Key to the Cure campaign. 

In the 14 years since the inception of the Saks Fifth Avenue charity shopping weekend, the company, together with its vendors and partners, has raised more than $33 million for cancer research. 

Sak’s and Nordstrom have aggressively expanded their off price formats in recent years and now Neiman Marcus wants a bigger piece of the action.

An epic journey and exercise in social media brand building is now underway in Canada where four intrepid young men are crossing the country in a custom RV to promote awareness of Hudson’s Bay and have a good time in the process.