Apparel

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Off-price retailer Ross Stores will celebrate the opening of its 1000th Ross Dress for Less store, in North Pleasant Hill, Calif., on July 16.

The new store is Ross’ 50th location in the Bay Area. The company operates more than 1000 Ross Dress for Less and dd's Discounts locations.

City of Industry, Calif. -- Hot Topic reported Wednesday that its June same-store sales year rose 0.4%. Analysts, on average, had expected same-store sales to fall 2.4%, according to Thomson Reuters.

Total sales for the five weeks ended July 2 fell 1.8% to $58 million.
 

New York City -- Saks said Tuesday it will open a licensed Saks Fifth Avenue store in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in August 2012.

The full-line department store, which will tailor its merchandise to the region, will open in Esentai Shopping Mall, which is part of a new mixed-use development featuring residential, office and hospitality components.

The three-story, 91,000-sq.-ft. store will showcase a three-story-high, state-of-the-art digital video screen on the building’s facade. 

Shoppers face a lot of economic headwinds this back-to-school season, but one forecaster has seasonal sales growing by 6.2% to $467 billion, the most since 2006.

That’s according to retail consultants Customer Growth Partners’ annual BTS forecast, which defies warnings of a double-dip recession and sees American households as being more resilient with their back-to-school spending during the July through September time frame.

Dallas -- Dallas Gold & Silver Exchange said Tuesday it has deployed a radio-frequency identification inventory management solution from Electronic Inventory Solutions in its showroom stores in Texas, California, and South Carolina, for the dual purposes of automating the inventory count process and adding additional physical security.

Columbia, S.C. -- Shopping center owner and developer Edens & Avant said Friday that Whole Foods Market will open a new store -- its third in South Carolina -- in the company’s Cross Hill Market retail center in Columbia, S.C.

The new store will be Whole Foods’ first in the capital city and will occupy approximately 37,876 sq. ft. in the 74,326-sq.-ft. development.

Plano, Texas -- Inland Western, based in Oak Brook, Ill., said that its Shops at Legacy, in Plano, Texas, has partnered with Smart Choice to launch a mobile personal shopping assistant app. The new app features product information, a customizable shopping experience and a “Men’s Corner,” which includes drink specials, sports game listings and gift ideas.

New York City -- Survey results released Tuesday showed that higher salaries, job mobility, and a strong emphasis on “quality of life” benefits are redefining the job market in retail and fashion.

According to 24 Seven’s Fifth Annual Salary Survey, conducted in collaboration with the American Apparel & Footwear Association, 68% of respondents plan to make a career move in the next year, with nearly half already looking for a new job.