Apparel

Lululemon athletica and Athleta, a subsidiary of Gap Inc., are not new concepts. But they are part of one of fashion’s hottest trends: “athleisure.”

Specializing in trendy activewear designed for the gym and beyond, athleisure concepts are finding their way into all kinds of shopping destinations — giving lululemon and Athleta increasing competition. Here’s a rundown of some other retailers currently in the game:

Kansas City -- Taubman Centers and The Macerich Company announced a joint venture for Country Club Plaza location in Kansas City, Missouri from Highwoods Properties. The mixed-use retail and office property was purchased for $660 million cash, excluding transaction costs. Taubman and Macerich each own a 50% interest in the center.

It wasn’t all that long ago that the industry was embroiled in the “bricks versus clicks” debate. On one side were the traditionalists, who were sure that online shopping would never really catch on (much less ever occur on a phone). On the other side were the true believers, who had stores going the way of the dinosaur in no time flat.

A seamless customer experience begins with a complete, real-time view of enterprise product assortment. However, RFID technology is taking this concept of “inventory awareness” to previously unimagined levels.

Specialty outdoor retailer The North Face is reportedly taking a desktop-based interactive online shopping experience it launched in December to a new platform. According to VentureBeat, The North Face is launching a mobile app that will let consumers find products using natural conversation to conduct searches and receive personalized recommendations. The app is scheduled to launch in April 2016.

Fort Worth, Texas -- Trademark Property Co. announced that it is under contract to purchase 3.5 acres of land adjacent to its 278,000-sq.-ft. WestBend mixed-use development in Fort Worth, Texas. The parcel is located on University Drive immediately south of WestBend, along the Trinity River.

Pacific Sunwear of California has hired financial advisors to help deal with its maturing debt, according to The Wall Street Journal.

In 2011, PacSun received a $100 million credit line from Wells Fargo and a $60 million loan from an affiliate of Golden Gate Capital. Both loans will be due in December, the report said.

Similar to other teen retailers, PacSun has been dealing with increased online competition and a shift in teen spending. The company has had three consecutive quarters of declining sales and negative same-store sales.

Fabletics, the online fashion activewear brand co-founded by actress Kate Hudson, is flexing its muscle. The company is adding physical stores to its subscription-based e-commerce model and men’s workout gear to its mix.