Apparel

Century 21 is expanding into a new market.   The New York City-based off-price retailer will open its 12th store to date, and first in the state of Florida, at Sawgrass Mills, in Sunrise. The 85,000-sq.-ft. store will open on Dec. 16.    The Florida location will feature the retailer’s C21-On-1 Stylist Program, providing shoppers with the opportunity to book a free one-on-one appointment with a fashion stylist.         

American Apparel witnessed a bright light in its ongoing financial saga.   The beleaguered specialty retailer has court approval to use the remainder of its $30 million bankruptcy loan. American Apparel filed Chapter 11 in November, its second filing in 15 months.   

Tilly’s is making a bold move in driving omnichannel experiences in-store.   Armed with Aptos’ cloud-based Singular Commerce platform, the teen apparel retailer can now integrate all omnichannel operations and data at store-level, giving users one complete view of customers, inventory, orders, and the customer’s overall path-to-purchase.   

The start of the holiday shopping season did not bring with it a big jump in retail sales.        Retail sales, excluding automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants, increased 0.1% in November, according to the National Retail Federation, less than many analysts had expected.       

The new year will bring a new finance chief to Tailored Brands.  

The past year brought with it seismic shifts as the retail industry continued to adapt to the evolving digital landscape and changing shopping habits. It also brought with it a changing of the guard, as many companies anointed new leaders to steer their ships in a transformed marketplace.    Here are six newly arrived (or soon to arrive) CEOs to keep an eye on in 2017:    Jeff Gennette, Macy’s Inc.

Allen Edmonds, the nearly 100-year-old men’s footwear and accessories brand whose products are handmade in Port Washington, Wisconsin, has a new owner.   Caleres announced it has acquired Allen Edmonds from private equity firm Brentwood Associates for $255 million. In addition to operating stores under the Famous Footwear banner, Caleres has a diverse portfolio of footwear brands.  

The good vibes, as well as the negative rumblings, that percolate through big events are an annual check on the pulse of an industry. In the case of retail real estate, I am happy to report that the positives seemed to outweigh the negatives at ICSC’s Deal Making show in New York last week.   Let’s start with the good stuff.