Apparel

New York -- Modell’s Sporting Goods announced the promotions of two members on the company’s executive team.

Charles Castaneda has been promoted to executive VP -- planning, allocation, replenishment and e-ccommerce merchandising. Castaneda joined Modell’s in December of 2010 as senior VP – planning, allocation and replenishment.

Todd Smyth has been promoted to VP/GMM of the licensed product division. He has been with Modell’s for the past 12 years.
 

TOPEKA, Kan. — Payless ShoeSource, a business unit of Collective Brands, has named Michele Bergerac SVP and general merchandise manager for Payless' women's and accessories businesses, reporting to LuAnn Via, president and CEO for Payless.

Bergerac will oversee product creation and merchandising for the Women's footwear and accessory collections, covering a range of categories including dress, sandals, casuals and boots for women, as well as accessories including handbags, socks and hosiery, scarves, jewelry and beauty and body products.  

New York -- Uniqlo announced that it will open a 29,000-sq.-ft. flagship in San Francisco, in the fall of 2012. The store, which will be located at 111 Powell Street, close to the Union Square shopping district, marks the brands’ first location outside of New York and will act as the epicenter for expansion along the West Coast.

Atlanta -- A report released Tuesday by First Data Corp., which tracks same-store consumer spending by credit, signature debit, PIN debit, EBT cards and checks at U.S. merchant locations, found that warm weather and spring promotions boosted discretionary spending in March.

According to First Data’s March 2012 SpendTrend report, year-over-year dollar volume growth was 8.7% in March, compared with February’s 8.9% growth.

Toronto -- Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group and Calloway Real Estate Investment Trust, Toronto, announced Tuesday that they will launch construction on Canada’s first upscale outlet center on April 25.

The first phase of the planned 500,000-sq.-ft. center will open in summer 2013.

Toronto Premium Outlets is a 50/50 joint venture between Calloway and Simon, and will feature more than 100 upscale outlet stores.

Cherry Hill, N.J. -- Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust said that Coco Fruit will open a 180-sq.-ft. kiosk in the Macy’s wing of Cherry Hill Mall, located in Cherry Hill, N.J.

The company also announced that Chicken Now has opened in the mall’s food court, in a 441-sq.-ft. location.

In 2012, Cherry Hill Mall has welcomed The Art of Shaving, Henri Bendel is opening this summer, and additional will be announced shortly, including an upscale home furnishing retailer, according to PREIT.
 

New York -- Japanese apparel retailer Uniqlo will open its first store on the West Coast, in a 29,000-sq.-ft. space in San Francisco, this fall, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Uniqlo is also looking for locations in Los Angeles and other California cities, according to the report. To date, the company has opened three U.S. stores, all in New York City.
 

Los Angeles -- CIM Group announced the acquisition of Block 37, a five-story retail center located on the State Street retail corridor in Chicago’s Central Loop.

Block 37 is located directly across the street from Macy’s State Street. It is also in the heart of Chicago’s State Street retail corridor, which boasts a significant concentration of National Historic Landmark, National Register of Historic Places and Chicago Landmark designated buildings and attracts millions of local customers and tourists every year.