Apparel

Skokie, Ill. -- Westfield Old Orchard, an outdoor destination located in Skokie (Chicago), Ill., announced that The Body Shop will rejoin the center in spring 2011 with a 765-sq.-ft. store near Lord & Taylor. Galt Toys will open a 3,400-sq.-ft. store, also slated for a spring 2011 opening, as is Vera Bradley -- with a 1,650-sq.-ft. boutique.

Walmat’s efforts to penetrate to New York have been the focus of considerable media attention the past few years so it is somewhat strange to find no mention of the company in a report out this week on commercial real estate trends.

Laura Pomerantz, a principal with the New York-based commercial real estate firm of PBS Real Estate noted that “2011 will see big changes on the streets of Manhattan. New and unexpected retailers are transforming shopping dynamics from Madison and Fifth Avenue to Times Square and the Upper West Side.”

DALLAS -- Zale Corp. announced that Jeannie Barsam has been named SVP merchandise planning and allocation, and Toyin Ogun has been named SVP human resources and customer service.

“Jeannie and Toyin add both critical experience and depth to our leadership team,” said Theo Killion, CEO. “These appointments exemplify the strategic investments we are making in organizational capability to drive our turnaround initiatives.”

New York City -- Sales at Macy’s, J.C. Penney and Kohl’s surpassed analysts’ estimates in February amid gradually moderating temperatures and rising consumer confidence. However, analysts warned that a late Easter and rising gasoline prices could impact sales going forward.

Confidence among U.S. consumers rose in February to the highest level in three years, according to a Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan index, as a drop in unemployment helped overcome concern over rising food and fuel costs.

Topeka, Kan. -- Collective Brands, the parent company of Payless ShoeSource, said Wednesday that its net loss narrowed slightly in the fourth quarter as sales improved in its wholesale unit. The performance beat Wall Street expectations.

For the three months ended Jan. 29, Collective Brands lost $10.1 million, compared with a loss of $10.9 million in the year-ago period.

Geneva, Ill. -- Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based Mid-America Asset Management said that Five Guys Burgers and Fries recently signed a lease for 2,158 sq. ft. at Geneva Commons in Geneva, Ill., a western suburb of Chicago.

The new restaurant will open at the 437,650-sq.-ft. lifestyle center in the spring.

In other Geneva Commons news, the following retailers recently renewed their leases at the lifestyle center: Chicago Home Fitness, Francesca's Collections, Kay Jewelers, Learning Express and Stride Rite.
 

New York City -- Tiffany & Co. has named Frederic Cumenal as executive VP, effective March 10.

Cumenal, 51, will be responsible for the company’s businesses in Asia, Japan, Europe and Emerging Markets, and will report to chairman and CEO Michael J. Kowalski. He joins Tiffany from the LVMH Group where most recently he was president and CEO of Moët & Chandon, S.A.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The weak sales and profits reported Wednesday by West Coast sporting goods retailer Big 5 weren’t a surprise, as the company had warned Wall Street more than a month ago that financial results would be below expectations.