Apparel

Management consulting firm Kurt Salmon has named Deanna Emsley as a partner in the firm’s Retail and Consumer Products Group.

Emsley has nearly 25 years of experience in retail, specializing in planning, forecasting, distribution and omnichannel. She has worked as a consultant and in-house for top-tier brands, including Williams-Sonoma and Abercrombie & Fitch.

North Plainfield, N.J. — Retail leasing activity remained strong through the spring and summer months of 2013, according to Levin Management, which reports more than 295,000 sq. ft. of renewals and transactions from Easter through Labor Day. The company’s portfolio includes 90 properties totaling 12.5 million sq. ft. of space in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina.

Dallas and New Orleans — The Howard Hughes Corp. has announced the tenant lineup for the redevelopment of Riverwalk Marketplace in New Orleans. The $70 million renovation is transforming the aging mall into The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, the nation’s first downtown outlet center.

According to Hughes Corp., virtually all of the space in the new Riverwalk has been committed, and well-known national outlet retailers and popular local retail, dining and entertainment offerings hold 94% of the leases.

The opening of two new Stein Mart stores in New Jersey and California this month will round out the discount department store operator's 2013 capital expansion program and give it a year-end total of 264 units.

The opening follows four new stores last month in El Paso, Texas; Buford, Ga.; Elk Grove, Calif.; and Colorado Springs, Co., as well as a September comparable-store sales increase of 5% and a total net sales increase of 7.3% for the month.

New York -- Saks Fifth Avenue in January 2014 will unveil its renovated men’s store in its Chicago flagship on Michigan Avenue. The renovation will encompass a total redesign of floors six and seven, creating an open environment that will be easily accessed by a new express elevator that will take passengers directly to the men’s floors.  

Los Angeles -- Faced with an uncertain economic and political environment and the first government shutdown in nearly two decades, Americans are expected to tighten their holiday budgets this year, beginning with Halloween, according to market research firm IBISWorld. Total spending on the holiday is anticipated to grow only 3% to $7.63 billion in 2013, compared to a strong 17.8% increase in 2012.
 

According to an internal memo from Family Dollar president and COO Mike Bloom, Jason Reiser has been elevated to the role of SVP/lead merchandising officer at the company.

Scovill Fasteners, a developer and manufacturer of a diverse range of fasteners for apparel and industrial partners and part of the Gores Group portfolio of companies, has elected Gores executive James I. Pinto to its board.

“I’m pleased to have someone of Jim’s caliber and experience join our board, and am excited for our team’s opportunity to work with him,” said CEO Craig Stoudt.