Apparel

Former Walmart apparel merchant Dottie Mattison and Sephora head merchant Margarita Arriagada will be among those honored next week at the 35th annual Outstanding Mother Awards.

NEW YORK — Former J. Crew executive Arnold P. Cohen has been named EVP and CMO at Cache, a specialty chain of women’s apparel stores.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Columbia Sportswear Company has appointed Shawn Cox as SVP of retail, a newly created position that will report directly to president and CEO Tim Boyle.

In his new role, Cox, 49, will be responsible for leading the company’s brick-and-mortar retail and e-commerce operations in the U.S., Europe and Canada.

Cox has 24 years of experience developing, managing and improving profitability of branded retail networks with operations in the U.S., Europe, South America, Middle East and Asia.

A match made in heaven. That’s what some are calling the David Bowie dedicated pop-up in Selfridges’ renowned London flagship. Called David Bowie Is All Yours, the pop-up was created in collaboration with London’s Victoria & Albert Museum’s record-breaking retrospective of the legendary performer.  
 

New York -- Giving a much-needed boost to J.C. Penney Co., George Soros’ Soros Fund Management bought 17.4 million shares of the troubled retailer, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  

The stake, which was seen as a vote of confidence in returning CEO Mike Ullman, makes the billionaire investor the fourth-largest Penney shareholder, with a 7.9% stake.

New York -- Christopher Finazzo, 57, who was an executive VP and chief merchandising officer at Aeropostale, was found guilty on Thursday of 14 counts of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy. He faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the fraud convictions and up to five years for the conspiracy charge.
      
The jury took less than five hours to reach the verdict, which came after a three-week criminal trial in Brooklyn, N.Y.
     

NEW YORK — Christopher Finazzo, 57, a former EVP and CMO at Aeropostale, was found guilty of 14 counts of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy. He faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the fraud convictions and up to five years for the conspiracy charge.

The jury took less than five hours to reach the verdict, which came after a three-week criminal trial in Brooklyn, N.Y. 

LOS ANGELES — Yowza, a leading mobile coupon app for iPhone and Android, has announced that more than 70,000 locations nationwide now accept Yowza coupons.

Sidney, Neb. -- Cabela’s first quarter profit rose 72.9%, topping expectations, on strong sales of firearms and ammunition. Net income rose to $49.8 million, up from $28.8 million in the year-ago quarter.
 
Revenue increased 28.7% to $802.5 million from $623.5 million last year. Analysts expected revenue of $770.5 million.
   

Morrisville, N.C. -- The Kalikow Group, on behalf of KEP Morrisville Realty and EYC Cos., said that Grace Park, a mixed-use development featuring 90,000 sq. ft. of ground-floor and outparcel retail space, as well as 180 residences, is nearing 100% occupancy with the addition of four new tenants.

Trali Irish Pub, leased 4,100 sq. ft. at the Morrisville, N.C. property, and Health Station will occupy 1,500 sq. ft.  Ladders Teaching Supply is opening a 1,500-sq.-ft. store and Italian restaurant Mare leased 3,200 sq. ft.