Apparel

WAYNE, N.J. — Halloween has arrived at Toys"R"Us. The retailer has launched Trick“R”Treat “boo”tiques in its stores nationwide and online. The designated shops will feature the usual assortment along with an all-new, affordable line of classic Halloween fashions for infants, toddlers and big kids called Boo!, available exclusively at Toys“R”Us stores nationwide.

THe Boo! line will include bumble bee, monster, pumpkin and other popular customes ranging in price from $14.99 to $29.99.

San Francisco -- The Gymboree Corp. reported Wednesday a loss of $14.1 million in the second quarter, compared with a loss of $6.9 million for the same period last year.
 
Sales rose 3.8% to $268.8 million, from $259.0 million last year, and same-store sales dipped 1%.

During fiscal 2012, the company reiterated its plans to open 115 new stores, including 90 locations for its value-priced Crazy 8 concept.
 

New York -- A new, kids-only sports store in Manhattan, Rookie USA, is utilizing the latest in innovative HD projection and audio-visual technology to engage shoppers.

Back-to-school shopping, the second-largest shopping season in the United States, helped make this August a strong month for retailers. Shoppers took advantage of back-to-school promotions to outfit students for the new school year. ShopperTrak, the world’s largest counter and analyzer of retail foot traffic, found that August’s retail foot traffic increased 6.3% compared with the previous month and increased 12.3% compared with the same month last year. 
   

Goodlettsville, Tenn. -- Dollar General Corp. on Wednesday said it had earned a better-than-expected $214.1 million in the second quarter, ended on Aug. 3, up from $146 million a year earlier. The discounter also raised its earnings forecast for the year.

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Kohl’s reaffirmed its green reputation with the announcement that it will expand its electric vehicle (EV) charging station initiative with 36 new stations across 18 additional Kohl’s locations by the end of fall 2012. The expansion spans three new states, including Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin and adds additional locations to the company’s Texas EV program. With the expansion, Kohl’s shoppers will be able to take advantage of a total of 101 charging stations at 52 Kohl’s locations across 14 states.

New York -- Hudson’s Bay Co., owner of the Lord & Taylor and The Bay chains, plans to file for an initial public offering, according to The New York Times.

A listing, which is expected to be on the Toronto Stock Exchange, could come this fall, before the end of November, the report said, with as much as 20% of the company being sold to the public.
 

TOPEKA, Kan. — Payless ShoeSource has unveiled its fall Incredible Value Everyday Collection -- a refreshed line with a range of footwear for women, men and children including dress, casuals and athletic styles at prices starting at $10 for kids, $15 for women, and $20 for men.