Apparel

Soft Surroundings is making moves to create more customer-centric assortments.   The St. Louis-Missouri-based fashion retailer’s goal is to help customers maintain their unique sense of style without sacrificing comfort. This was becoming a challenge through its spreadsheet-based planning processes. With an eye on driving more customer-centric assortments across its growing chain, the company knew it was time for a change.  

There is a good chance that the shopping center as its exists today will look completely different 10 years from now.   

Retailers who want a prime location but also one that’s affordable should check out Philadelphia, Chicago and Seattle.  

Donahue Schriber announced the next phase of Del Mar Highlands Town Center at RECon this week. The 120,000-sq.-ft. addition of GLA will bring the total square footage at the San Diego property close to 400,000.   Called The Collection, the new phase will be anchored by local natural foods grocer Jimbos…Naturally! The company’s leasing strategy for the remainder of the space will focus on retail, dining, and services catering to the area’s highly educated, affluent, and time-constrained consumers.   

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett won’t have occasion to announce a championship for the OKC Thunder this year, but he did stop by the RECon show in Las Vegas to crown the OKC Outlets.   The former Outlet Shoppes at Oklahoma City was sold by CBL to The Outlet Resource Group and Singerman Real Estate earlier this month. The new owners wasted no time putting its own brand on the center. “OKC” is the abbreviation commonly used by NBA fans to identify the Thunder.  

Deborah Butler grew up in a college town. More importantly, she watched her family grow one store into a mega-retail-complex in Gainesville, Florida, that keeps on growing. The University of Florida has been very, very good to Butler and her family, and Butler has lots to say about the symbiotic relationship of higher education and retail.  

Gymboree Corp. has tapped the former chief of Tilly’s executive as the children’s clothing retailer’s new CEO.  

Foot Locker posted weaker-than-expected earnings and sales for its first quarter after high promotional activity and getting off to a slow start in February.        Net income for the company's first quarter ended April 29, 2017 was $180 million, or $1.36 per share, compared with net income of $191 million, or $1.39 per share in the year-ago period.  

Harrys of London has a new owner with an interesting portfolio who wants to expand the brand.   The luxury footwear and accessories brand has been acquired by Charles S. Cohen, a New York real estate developer and media entrepreneur. Cohen, who acquired 100% interest in Harrys from Palladin Consumer Retail Partners, will assume the position of chairman. Palladin acquired a majority stake in Harrys in 2014.