Apparel

New York City -- Saks Inc.’s Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th announced the addition of five stores for 2012. The new stores will be located in upscale outlet, lifestyle, or strip centers.

The new locations are in Merrimack, N.H., Syracuse, N.Y., Livermore, Calif., Grand Prairie, Texas, and Nashville. The Merrimack store will be the first Off 5th in New Hampshire, and the store in Nashville will be a replacement store for the one lost in the 2010 flood in Tennessee.

Scottsdale, Ariz. -- JDA Software Group announced that MC Sports, which operates  more than 70 stores in seven Midwestern states, selected JDA Allocation and JDA Size Scaling to help increase revenue while reducing inventory levels.

Seattle -- Nordstrom announced it is now offering free standard shipping and returns from Nordstrom.com -- every day, for online orders of every size. The company said it is broadening its online free shipping and returns policy to all customers in an effort to improve the online shopping experience.

Previously, Nordstrom offered free shipping for online purchases above $200 or through special promotional offers. The new policy applies to Nordstrom.com orders shipped within the United States regardless of the amount or size of the orders.

New Balance has brought its “Experience” format to North America, opening a 4,000-sq.-ft. space in Manhattan’s Flatiron District.

On Thursday, Sept. 8, The Shoppes at The Palazzo and The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, in partnership with The Venetian and The Palazzo Las Vegas, will host an only-in-Vegas Fashion’s Night Out event.

Celebrity power couple Giuliana and Bill Rancic will guide guests through the season’s most talked-about fashion tips and trends; the festivities kick-off at 6 p.m. on level two of The Shoppes at The Palazzo near Chloè and Piazza Sempione.

San Francisco -- Gap announced Monday that it will open its first Banana Republic store in France in Paris in early December. The 15,952-sq.-ft. store will be located on Avenue des Champs Élysées, one of the most popular international shopping destinations in the world.

“Following the success of our London and Milan openings, we are delighted to bring Banana Republic to Paris and take another exciting step in our international growth strategy,” said Stephen Sunnucks, president, International, Gap.
 

New York City -- Many New Yorkers remain at home on Monday, as Irene -- though not the monster it first appeared to be -- left widespread flooding and power outages in its weekend wake.

NEW YORK — The economic headwinds so often cited by mass market retailers as a drag on financial results had no impact on luxury goods retailer Tiffany during the second quarter. The company’s earnings per share excluding non-recurring charges increased 58% to 86 cents, well ahead of the 70 cents analysts’ expected as the retailer’s customers didn’t let lingering unemployment and economic uncertainty dampen their enthusiasm for luxury goods.

New York City -- J.C. Penney Co. CEO Myron "Mike" Ullman is on track to receive a hefty exit package when he retires from the company in early 2012. The package currently is valued at about $30.7 million, according to an analysis prepared for The Wall Street Journal.

Ullman will be succeeded by Apple retail guru Ron Johnson.

New York City -- New Balance has opened its first North American Experience Store, in New York City's Flatiron District. The approximate 4,000-sq.-ft. space is designed to reflect the heritage and spirit of the century-old brand.