Apparel

J.C. Penney has scored with Nike.   The department store retailer has teamed up with the athletic giant to open Nike branded in-store shops in more than 600 Penney locations across the country. Anchored by a Nike swoosh, the 500-sq.-ft. shops are located within the men’s department,   

Frontgate is looking to create a unique shopping experience at its new location in Dallas.       The luxury home decor and furnishings retailer will open what it called its first experiential store in late May, in the Dallas suburbs. The 22,000-sq.-ft. store will be located at Legacy West, a luxury retail development in Plano, Texas.     Frontgate reaches most shoppers through its catalogs and website. The also company operates a handful of brick-and-mortar locations. 

After a 65-year run, The Andersons is leaving the retail business, closing its four big-box stores in Ohio. 

Jeff Katkowsky, VP with Sachse Construction, will share his insights and experiences as part of a panel focused on overcoming obstacles during closeouts at SPECS/2017.  

The NRF Foundation has brought together leading retailers and non-profits to launch a job training and credentialing initiative called Rise Up (Retail Industry Skills & Education).   The program is designed to help people — regardless of education, background, economic means or age — acquire the skills they need to secure jobs in retail and advance into promising careers in every aspect of retail, from in-store to digital and mobile commerce, according to the NRF.  

Limited Stores has taken another step in the liquidation process it started in December.   The women’s apparel retailer announced on Tuesday it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The chain also said it agreed to a "stalking horse" bid for its intellectual property and some related assets from an affiliate of private equity firm Sycamore Partners.     

Call 2016 the “year of promotions” in retail, with 44% of all orders during the year sold on promotion, and 67% of all orders sold using a markdown.      That’s according to the DynamicAction Retail Index: 2016 Year-in-Review and 2017 Outlook, which found that rampant promotional and markdown activity led to a 24% margin reduction for North American retailers in 2016.     

After nearly 30 years of doing business in the MainPlace Mall in Santa Ana, California, Nordstrom has announced it will be shuttering the location.