Apparel

Simpsonville, Ky. -- Following on the heels of successful outlet projects in Atlanta and Oklahoma City, CBL & Associates Properties and Horizon Group Properties announced another joint venture – to co-develop The Outlet Shoppes at Louisville, in Simpsonville, Ky.

New York -- Contingent Network Services has announced the successful completion of a strategic IT project to deploy new in-store technology to stores operated by The Finish Line. The retailer has reinvented its in-store shopping experience at all locations with a total store overhaul and technology refresh that included implementation of innovative mobile POS and interactive kiosk technologies. Contingent provided Finish Line with incremental project and technology experts to manage the in-store deployment for 320 of the 664 sites completed within the overall project.

Kohl's Corp. reported a 5% drop in first-quarter profit on weak sales due to unseasonably cold weather in large parts of the United States.

Kohl's net income fell to $147 million in the quarter ended May 4, down from $154 million a year earlier.

Sales fell 1% to $4.2 billion. Comparable-store sales fell 1.9%.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Body Central Corp., a multichannel, specialty retailer that offers on-trend apparel and accessories at value prices, has appointed Donna R. Ecton as non-executive chairman of the board. Ecton has been a director of Body Central Corp. since May 2011.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — American Giant, a California-based apparel brand for men which operates through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model, has launched a womenswear line. 

The first women's offerings will consist of both heavyweight and mid-weight sweatshirts and a jersey knit line, all made in America and sold exclusively online. Women will be able to pick from seven styles, all made from 100% pre-washed cotton and shrunk to fit and priced from $19.50 to $89.

New York -- The National Retail Federation on Wednesday criticized a fire-and-building safety agreement for Bangladesh, led by labor groups such as Europe's IndustriALL.  

"While the proposal put forth by the labor unions addresses a number of shared concerns, the accord veers away from commonsense solutions and seeks to advance a narrow agenda driven by special interests," NRF CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement.

ARMONK, N.Y. -- Consumers shopping online for Mother’s Day gifts was up 15%, spurred by mobile commerce growth of 23% over 2012, according to IBM’s Digital Analytics Benchmark, a cloud-based analysis of the online retail market.

Ft. Worth, Texas -- Westwood Contractors announced that effective May 1, Michael W. McBride has  assumed the role of president in addition to his position as COO at the firm.

“This promotion acknowledges Mike’s leadership role in the strategic direction of the company as it continues to grow,” said Robert D. Benda, CEO of Westwood.

Prior to joining Westwood in 1994, McBride held construction management positions at Payless Shoe Source and Zale Corporation.

Cincinnati -- Macy’s reported increases in sales and income for the first quarter of 2013 compared to the same period a year earlier, despite cool weather that delayed spring shopping in key markets. Net income was $217 million, a 20% hike from $181 million in the year-ago period.  

While net income slightly beat analyst predictions, same-store sales rose 3.8%, short of the 4.3% expected by analysts. Net sales totaled $6.39 billion, up 4% from $6.14 billion in the year-ago period.

When Renaissance at Colony Park opened in Ridgeland, Miss., in 2008, it created a stir not only among the local residents of Ridgeland, Miss., but also within the retailer and shopping center communities as a whole.

The project, developed by Mattiace Properties and H.C. Bailey Cos., pulled together the aesthetic elements of a Main Street and town center format with strategic, traffic-driving retail, entertainment and dining offerings.