Apparel

By Bradley W. Snyder, [email protected]

Saks Fifth Avenue is amping up its omni-channel strategy by updating  its SaksFirst loyalty program and adding free shipping. The changes will make the benefits of the program more consistent across Saks’ different channels. 

On Thursday, Saks announced that all Saks cardholders will now receive free shipping from Saks stores, Saks.com and Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th stores.

Philadelphia -- Teen and tween retailer Five Below will open 60 stores this year, including its first-ever locations in Texas.

The retailer said it will open four to five stores in Austin, Texas, and 10 to 12 stores in Dallas by late summer, with the potential for more than 100 stars in the Lone Star Sate stores over time.

Woodland Hills, Calif. -- Great American Group said Friday it has been selected to handle the liquidation of Bakers Footwear Group, offering discounts for products in 56 of Bakers Footwear Groups’ remaining stores, as well as online at Bakersshoes.com.

Bakers locations in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia are part of the sale event.
 

NEW YORK, NY — The National Father’s Day Council, a nonprofit that recognizes modern day role model fathers, has named Terry Lundgren, chairman, president and CEO of Macy’s Inc., as a recipient of its 2013 "Father of the Year" Award. Lundgren joins President Bill Clinton, Founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States, as a fellow honoree. The awards will be presented at the 72nd Annual Father of the Year Awards in New York City on Tuesday, June 11. 

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — Target has revealed its exclusive partnerships, own brands and limited collections that Canadian consumers can look forward to experiencing once the retailer opens its first stores in the country this spring.

Berlin, Vt. -- Berlin Mall LLC announced it has cleared the last two permitting hurdles to begin an 18,700-sq.-ft. expansion of The Berlin Mall, located in Berlin, Vt. The expansion is part of a planned increase in the size of its Walmart anchor store, which will also expand into existing, adjoining retail space at the mall
     
Construction is slated to start spring 2013.
 

New York -- In a Thursday report by the New York Post citing unnamed sources, the publication said that J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson is pushing some of its vendors to inflate their pricing so that the department store’s retail pricing appears lower than it actually is.

Sources told The Post that the plan includes putting up signs and fixturing to display fabricated retail pricing, while the merchandise is then tagged with J.C. Penney’s own lower prices.