Apparel

Last week Janney Montgomery Scott analyst David Strasser downgraded shares of Target to neutral from buy. He offered a litany of things that could go wrong with the Target story, which were subsequently refuted by someone named Will Ashworth on the website “Investopedia.”

Atlanta -- CDC Software Corp. announced Tuesday that Hamburg, Germany-based Hermes Fulfilment, part of multichannel retailer Otto Group, is using the cloud-based CDC e-commerce platform to help deliver e-commerce and multichannel retail services to its global customers.

Already, Hermes Fulfilment is using CDC e-commerce to power the online storefront of Wolford, a global manufacturer and marketer of upscale hosiery, lingerie, and ready-to-wear items. CDC e-commerce’s platform is initially being used in Wolford’s online ordering system.

Houston -- Greensboro, N.C.-based Tanger Factory Outlet Centers and Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group announced Thursday that they have entered into a 50/50 joint venture agreement to develop a Tanger Outlet Center south of Houston, in Texas City.

Phase I is slated for 350,000 sq. ft. of brand name and designer outlet stores; the 55-acre site is expected to accommodate future expansion of about 120,000 sq. ft.

Tenant announcements and ground breaking ceremonies are slated for July; the center is scheduled to open in summer 2012.

Las Vegas -- Nike announced Thursday that its new 30,000-sq.-ft. concept store, an expanded iteration of the original, will open in July at The Forum Shops at Caesars, in Las Vegas.

The expanded location will deliver new customer experiences, market-tailored products, community resources and the introduction of team customization services, according to Nike.

Back in late 2009-early 2010, I started seeing an uptick in medical users setting up shop in retail centers. I thought, “This is going to be a trend!” I was convinced we’d be seeing more and more outpatient and urgent care facilities moving in next to the Rite Aids and Ann Taylor Lofts of the world. For some reason, though, this “trend” is not evolving. And, to be honest, that’s a little more than surprising to me; it’s puzzling!

San Francisco -- Gap announced Wednesday that it will open its first Gap store in Egypt this July, and its first Gap and Banana Republic stores in Morocco in October.

The move is part of the retailer’s global expansion strategy that calls for doubling its franchise stores to 400 by fiscal year 2014.

Gap started shipping to Egypt, Morocco and South Africa in 2010, but these stores are the first on the continent.

Tigard, Ore. -- Regional sports dealer Brand Athletics said Thursday it will operate solely under the name Lids Team Sports, a division of Indianapolis-based Lids Sports Group. Lids acquired Brand Athletics in 2010.

The Lids Sports Group, operating within Genesco subsidiary Hat World, is comprised of the Lids retail headwear stores, the Lids Locker Room specialty fan retail chain, the Lids Clubhouse retail stores, the Lids Team Sports wholesale team sports business and its Internet businesses.
 

SAN FRANCISCO — Gap Inc. announced that it plans to open its first Gap store in Egypt this July and its first Gap and Banana Republic stores in Morocco this October. These store openings will mark the company’s first entry into Africa.

As part of an existing franchise agreement with The Fawaz Al Hokair Group, Gap will open its first Egyptian store in the Mall of Arabia in the capital city of Cairo. Two additional Gap stores will open at Cairo’s City Stars Mall and Sun City Mall this October.