Apparel

Freeport, Maine -- L.L. Bean announced it will implements free standard shipping to all United States and Canadian addresses effective March 25.

“We tested free shipping offers with no minimum purchase for several months and the customer response was overwhelming,” said Chris McCormick, president and CEO, L.L. Bean, Freeport, Maine. “It’s our opportunity to offer free shipping for all U.S. and Canadian customers with no minimum purchase, no end date, no conditions -- guaranteed.”

Dallas -- Alliance Data Systems Corp., a provider of loyalty and marketing solutions derived from transaction-rich, announced that its Canadian coalition loyalty business has signed a national agreement with The Children's Place Retail Stores.

The agreement provides for The Children's Place to participate as a national sponsor in the Canadian Air Miles Reward Program and issue reward miles across Canada. Previously, The Children's Place launched a seven-month Air Miles pilot initiative in Alberta and British Columbia.

Hingham, Mass. -- The Talbots reported Thursday a narrower-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter loss, and said it plans to expand its store re-image program to improve traffic. The chain also it expects to close as many as 100 stores over the next two years.

Talbots lost $2.8 million in the quarter ended Jan. 29, compared with a loss of $1.5 million in the year-ago period.

Net sales fell 7.4% to $292.6 million, compared with $315.9 million in the same period last year. Same-store sales dropped 7.3%.

Bensalem, Pa. -- Charming Shoppes said Thursday it recorded a net loss on a GAAP basis of $30.4 million for the quarter ended Jan. 29, compared with a loss of $28 million a year earlier. The company also announced the announced the appointment of Anthony M. Romano, COO and acting CEO, as president and CEO.

Seattle – Nordstrom said Thursday it has completed its acquisition of online private sale marketplace HauteLook, effective March 23.

Nordstrom said the acquisition will enable it to participate in the fast-growing private sale marketplace and provide a platform to increase innovation and speed in the way it serves customers in all channels.

PLANO, Texas -- JCPenney announced that has been named the number one retailer on DiversityInc's annual ranking of "Top 50 Companies for Diversity," which recognizes leading organizations for best practices in diversity management. This is the second consecutive year that the company has earned its place on the list, moving up 11 spots to No. 35 overall. The company also snagged the seventh position on DiversityInc.'s "Top 10 Companies for Latinos."

SEATTLE -- Terry Pillow, CEO of the Tommy Bahama Group, has announced the appointment of Rob Goldberg as SVP marketing. Goldberg, who joined Tommy Bahama in 2010 as SVP restaurants, will continue to oversee the restaurant operations in addition to his new duties. Goldberg will continue to be based at the company's Seattle headquarters. The appointment is effective immediately.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Adidas has announced the launch of its newest running shoe, the ClimaCool Ride. The shoe features 360-degree ventilation, attacking the main cause of runners' discomfort – high humidity and temperature, the company reported. The shoe is available in 26 colors. 

Palto Alto, Calif. -- Personalization of the in-store customer experience will be a key objective for retailers over the next two years, according to two new Aberdeen Group reports sponsored by HP.

According to the 100 senior retail executives surveyed from industries such as apparel, grocery and department stores, 76% do not possess the technology tools or the business processes for executing web, catalog or special orders from stores. This challenge is being fueled by rising consumer expectations of rich, multimedia in-store shopping experiences.

Tilden, Pa. -- Metro Commercial Real Estate announced Wednesday that Tilden Ridge, a 400,000-sq.-ft. regional shopping center located in Hamburg, Pa., and anchored by a Wal-Mart Supercenter and Lowe’s Home Improvement, had its grand opening on March 15.

The shopping center, owned by West Conshohocken, Pa.-based Ironwood Property Group, is 98% pre-leased and includes, besides Walmart and Lowe’s, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Logan’s Roadhouse, GameStop, Pet Supplies Plus, Sleepy’s and Schuylkill Valley Sports.