Apparel

Vernon, Calif. -- True Religion Apparel said Wednesday it is evaluation strategic alternatives, which could include the sale of the company.

The denim manufacturer, which also operates about 140 retail stores, said it was contacted by interested third parties, which triggered the formation of a special committee to explore alternatives.

No timetable for a potential sale has been set.

White Plains, N.Y. -- Oak Brook, Ill.-based Inland Diversified Real Estate Trust announced the acquisition of a majority interest in City Center at White Plains, a four-story, 381,905-sq.-ft. mixed-use shopping center and apartment property in White Plains, N.Y.

The property was acquired in a joint venture between a subsidiary of Inland Diversified and affiliates of real estate developer Cappelli Group. The joint venture valued the property at approximately $166.4 million.

TOPEKA, Kan. — Payless Holdings has named Paul Jones as CEO. Jones was most recently chairman, president and CEO of Shopko Stores, a $2.7 billion mass merchandiser providing quality products and health services at great values in small to mid-sized markets. Jones will be based in Topeka and will join the company in an official capacity on Oct. 22.
 

San Luis Obispo, Calif. -- Shopatron said Wednesday that women’s specialty retailer Intermix is using Shopatron's order management solution to integrate its retail locations into the company's e-commerce sales strategy.

Using Shopatron's distributed order management system, Intermix can now fulfill online orders with available inventory from either a distribution center or a retail store.

COMMERCE, Calif. — Rodeo Drive is the place where Julia Roberts got the last laugh in "Pretty Woman" and the home to some of the most sought-after fashions in the world. But perhaps there is room on the iconic street for a more inclusive retail destination.

In that vain, 99 Cents Only Stores has issued a press release announcing its search for retail property on Rodeo Drive and is encouraging anyone with information on available retail space on Rodeo Drive is to contact its real estate department.

Rockford, Mich. -- Wolverine Worldwide said Tuesday it will complete its previously announced acquisition of Collective Brands' Performance + Lifestyle Group, which consists of the Sperry Top-Sider, Saucony, Stride Rite and Keds brands, for $1.24 billion.

The banners will become Wolverine’s largest operating group, adding more than $1 billion in revenue to Wolverine’s existing stable of brands such as Merrell and Hush Puppies.

I’m sure I wasn’t the only person in the industry to raise an eyebrow when the S&P Retail Index notched an all-time high last month. Closing at $669.26 on September 14th to reach that milestone, the index has continued to creep up even further the last couple of weeks. A closer look at the stock market performance of the retail sector shows that both REITs and many individual retailers are continuing a strong positive trend—which makes sense, of course, because REITs will perform better in a strong retail environment when retailers are doing well.

Commerce, Calif. -- Discounter 99 Cents Only said Tuesday it has launched an official search for a retail property on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif., to open its first store on the iconic street.

"We are confident a Rodeo Drive store will be successful because our stores do well in affluent areas,” said Eric Schiffer, CEO. “In fact, our highest sales volume store is located only a few blocks from Beverly Hills on Wilshire Boulevard.”

Of its 303 extreme-value stores in the U.S., 222 are in California.