Apparel

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less will open its first store in Oakland, Calif. on March 8, bringing the total to more than 250 stores in California, the retailer’s largest state. The new location will be in Foothill Square in Oakland.  

Together, Ross Dress for Less and DD’s Discounts currently operate approximately 1,300 off-price apparel and home fashion stores in 33 states, the District of Columbia and Guam.

Chicago — Forever Yogurt and T’s Code, a women’s clothing boutique, have leased shops in Glen Town Center in Glenview, Ill. Forever Yogurt has taken 1,134 sq. ft., and T’s Code will occupy 1,789 sq. ft. CBRE represented the landlord, Bank of America Commercial Mortgage, in both leases.

Fort Myers, Fla. – Chico’s FAS Inc. is reportedly building a mobile shopping app for the iOS and Android platforms. According to the Wall Street Journal, the app will integrate with iBeacon location sensors on shelves.

This app, currently in pilot testing, would reportedly use iBeacons to notify customers who have opted in when they are near items that fit their purchase history. Associates would then use iPads to update the customer’s history.

Banana Republic will unveil an omnichannel marketing campaign called “True Outfitters” in March 2014.

Styled by Jessica Diehl and shot by Mikael Jansson, the campaign was developed with Laird+Partners, Banana Republic's advertising agency. The campaign will appear in March and April publications, supplemented by outdoor, online and direct mail. Digital portions include a dedicated website and a special YouTube event on March 2.

Newport Beach, Calif. -- Engaged Capital, an investment firm specializing in small and mid-cap North American equities and stockholder of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., has named five nominees for the Abercrombie & Fitch board of directors. The nominees are Alexander P. Brick, former CEO of Specialty Retail Group; Robert D. Huth, former CEO of David’s Bridal; Michael W. Kramer, former COO of J.C. Penney; Diane L. Neal, former CEO of Bath & Body Works; and Glenn W. Welling, CIO and managing member of Engaged Capital.

San Jose, Calif. – Sales for Valentine’s Day this year fell prior to the holiday compared to the same period in 2013, but rose on the actual holiday itself, Feb. 14. According to new figures from site analytics provider RetailNext, men’s stores (that have gifts for men) saw decreased (-13.8%) sales the day before Valentine’s, but an increase of +22.2% in sales on Valentine's Day itself in 2014.

Lexington, Mass. – Vertical footwear retailer Keds is launching an omni-channel marketing campaign called the “Keds Brave Life Project.” The campaign is aimed at encouraging positive development of girls and young women.