Apparel

Accessories retailer names new head of marketing
Charming Charlie has appointed Ujjwal Dhoot as VP of marketing, based in the specialty retailer’s Los Angeles office.

Dhoot previously served as chief marketing officer for FSAStore.com, responsible for the overall growth strategy, customer acquisition and retention, analytics development and testing for the FSA-eligible products and services shop. Before that, he was VP of marketing at 20x200, an online retailer for limited edition art.

Dhoot also served as VP of marketing at PetCareRx.com.
Start-up wants to make it easy for customers to return online goods — in malls, stores
Two e-commerce vets are looking to tackle one of the retail industry’s most vexing problems: returns of online purchases.

David Sobie, former senior VP of marketing & business development at flash site HauteLook, and Mark Geller, former head of mobile at the company (which Nordstrom acquired in 2011), are launching Happy Returns, which seeks to eliminate the “pain” of returns by mail by establishing a network of “Return Bars” in malls and stores where shoppers can return merchandise purchased online and get an immediate refund.

Christopher & Banks board member withdraws name

For about three hours the morning of April 4 it looked like Christopher & Banks had found itself a new board member, but then the company discovered a conflict that prevented the high level executive from accepting the nomination.
How Express is building its brand

Apparel retailer Express has been building its brand and upping its cool factor among millennials by signing up famous athletes and models to serve as “brand ambassadors.”

It’s just one of several tactics that the chain is using to drive its performance under the leadership of CEO David Kornberg, who took the reins in January 2015.

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Exclusive: Deckers Brands sees the future of marketing

When it comes to marketing spending, Deckers Brands is doing more with less.

The Goleta, California-based vertical apparel retailer is performing advanced predictive analytics on the performance of different marketing activities for its North American direct-to-consumer Ugg specialty footwear business. This includes an e-commerce site, as well as 45 stores.
American Eagle debuts tongue-in-cheek campaign for men's underwear

American Eagle Outfitters is launching another viral marketing campaign, this time with a funny focus on the fight against the body shaming of men.

The retailer is kicking off its #AerieMAN campaign, featuring a mix of quirky male characters of different sizes and personalities sharing "real life" stories in their skivvies. American Eagle's Skinny Skinny Jean and American Beagle Outfitters campaigns were huge successes in 2013 and 2014. Now the brand is focused on raising awareness around body diversity.
J.C. Penney taps athletic wear trend with new line

J.C. Penney is teaming up with WWE to launch a new line of performance apparel for men and women.

Tapout, a global fitness and training brand recently re-launched by WWE and Authentic Brands Group, is now available in nearly 300 J.C. Penney stores and at jcp.com, with plans to launch a women’s collection this summer.
Department store giant continues to expand outlet store formats

Macy’s announced it will open a new Bloomingdale's Outlet store in November 2016 at The Outlets at Orange, in Orange, California.

The 24,000-sq.-ft. store will be the 17th Bloomingdale's Outlet location and offer a range of off-price apparel and accessories for men, women and children.
Fast-growing start-up brings indie and boutique shopping to online commerce

Featuring 250 boutiques and designers from the U.S. and Canada, online marketplace site Garmentory connects brick-and-mortar boutiques and emerging designers to shoppers all over the globe via their online platform and mobile site, according to a CNBC.com report.
Good news for retailers in March jobs report

March was a solid month for U.S. job makers, with retailers leading the way.

The retail industry — excluding autos, gasoline and food services — added a solid 40,000 jobs in March, the National Retail Federation reported on Friday. The job market overall saw growth of 215,000 jobs in the month of March.

Retail has added an average of 52,000 jobs per month over the last three months.
Going-out-of-business sales begin at Hancock

Hancock Fabrics is set to begin liquidation aftera U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware approved the sale of the chain to Great American Group on Thursday.

Great American Group says going-out-of-business sales for 185 Hancock Fabrics stores have already begun.
Phillips Edison Grocery Center REIT II strengthens portfolio with acquisition

Phillips Edison Grocery Center REIT II announced the acquisition of the 67,280 sq. ft. Lakewood City Center in Lakewood, Ohio.

The shopping center is anchored by a 39,400 sq. ft. Marc’s grocery store, the No. 2 grocer in the Cleveland area. Additional retail includes: Gamestop, Best Cuts, Pet Supplies Plus, the UPS Store, Boston Market, Marco’s Pizza, Ace Cash Express, T-Mobile, Palm Beach Tan, and Chipotle Mexican Grill.