Apparel

A former Lowe's executive whose resume includes a 16-year stint at Stapes has joined the executive leadership team at J.C. Penney.   Penney said Marci Grebstein will join the company as executive VP, chief marketing officer, in June. Grebstein succeeds Mary Beth West who stepped down as Penney's marketing head on April 1, 2017, after two years on the job, and went on to join The Hershey Company.   

Shoe Palace is moving into the cloud to enhance its omnichannel operations.   A preferred Nike retailer, Shoe Palace is known for its high-end athletic footwear and apparel, and top-notch customer service. The family-run business opened its first store in San Jose, California in 1993. Today, the company operates 118 stores nationwide, and an e-commerce site.   

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.  

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

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

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.   

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.