Apparel

Teen specialist Aéropostale lent credence to the “malls are dying” voices by announcing the closure of 125-mall based stores and the elimination of 100 headquarter positions.

Citing changing shopping patterns among moms, Aéropostale said it planned to close 125 of its 150 P.S. from Aéropostale stores which focus on kids ages four through 12. The move is part of a larger cost reduction program related to a turnaround strategy that is expected to result in annual savings of $30 to $35 million.

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.  

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.

Waban, Mass. – Grocery chain H.E.B. tied with the banking business of financial services provider USAA for the top spot in consumer forgiveness. Based on a study of 10,000 U.S consumers, the two companies both came in first in the 2014 Temkin Forgiveness Ratings, which rates 268 companies across 19 industries.

Glendale, Calif. — The health juice café, Earthbar, has leased a 1,168-sq.-ft. location on the third level of Glendale Galleria. Earthbar offers a range of juices and cleansers, vitamins and supplements, shakes and healthy snacks.

New York -- Uniqlo debuted a new flagship with the opening of its fifth location in Paris, in the city’s Marais area.

Located in a 19th century building that once housed a foundry, the three-level, 8,800-sq.-ft. store combines such historic details as a 115-ft- red-brick chimney with a modern layout and high-tech accents, including video screens and LED displays.

It was designed by Tokyo architects Wonderwall, a longtime collaborator with Uniqlo.

Bellevue, Wash. – Eddie Bauer has signed a long-term renewal agreement with Alliance Data Systems Corp. to continue providing private label credit card services. Alliance Data will continue to deliver a marketing-driven private label credit card program that recognizes and rewards Eddie Bauer cardholders and complements the reward incentives the Eddie Bauer Friends rewards program offers customers.