Apparel

The world is full of powerful women, but a recent listing of the 100 most powerful by Forbes indicates that, with a few exceptions, the publication doesn’t think many are involved in the retail and consumer packaged goods world.

PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi was ranked fourth followed by Kraft CEO Irene Rosenfeld at number 10 on a list that was otherwise dominated by media personalities, celebrities, politicians and government officials. As for female retail executives, well there were exactly three.

New Balance has brought its “Experience” format to North America, opening a 4,000-sq.-ft. space in Manhattan’s Flatiron District.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Frederick's of Hollywood Group has announced that the company and Linda LoRe have mutually agreed that, effective Sept. 2, LoRe will resign both as president and as a member of the board of directors of the company and its subsidiaries.  She will continue her employment through Jan. 20, 2012, and will assist in the orderly transition of her responsibilities to senior members of the company's current management team.

New York City -- Saks Inc.’s Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th announced the addition of five stores for 2012. The new stores will be located in upscale outlet, lifestyle, or strip centers.

The new locations are in Merrimack, N.H., Syracuse, N.Y., Livermore, Calif., Grand Prairie, Texas, and Nashville. The Merrimack store will be the first Off 5th in New Hampshire, and the store in Nashville will be a replacement store for the one lost in the 2010 flood in Tennessee.

On Thursday, Sept. 8, The Shoppes at The Palazzo and The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, in partnership with The Venetian and The Palazzo Las Vegas, will host an only-in-Vegas Fashion’s Night Out event.

Celebrity power couple Giuliana and Bill Rancic will guide guests through the season’s most talked-about fashion tips and trends; the festivities kick-off at 6 p.m. on level two of The Shoppes at The Palazzo near Chloè and Piazza Sempione.

NEW YORK — Customers with expensive taste will have greater access to luxury now that Saks is planning to open five new Off 5th stores throughout the United States. According to the company, these new stores will be located in upscale outlet, lifestyle, or strip centers, and each store will be designed in Off 5TH's unique "luxury in a loft" format. The new stores should have a particular appeal to foreign tourists, who helped drive up same-store sales to about 15% at Saks' flagship New York store.

From Gap and Coach to Best Buy and Starbucks, retailers across the board are looking to high-growth emerging markets to expand their business and increase revenues. Not surprisingly, China is a prime -- if not the No. 1 -- target of many retailers.

New York City -- New Balance has opened its first North American Experience Store, in New York City's Flatiron District. The approximate 4,000-sq.-ft. space is designed to reflect the heritage and spirit of the century-old brand.