Apparel

New York -- Ron Stoupa, a former Pep Boys and Bass Pro Shops marketing executive, has been appointed executive VP and chief marketing officer of, Sports Authority.

Stoupa will be responsible for leading the strategic development and oversight of the company’s marketing plans. The Englewood, Colorado-based company operates 466 locations throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Former Pep Boys and Bass Pro Shops marketing executive Ron Stoupa has joined the Sports Authority as executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

Stoupa will be responsible for leading the strategic development and oversight of the company’s marketing plans. The Englewood, Co.-based company operates 466 locations throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

At a time when omnichannel retailing is more important than ever for retailers, Gap Inc. is shutting down one of its digital brands.

Gap Inc. said it is dropping its Piperlime channel so the apparel maker and retailer can focus on fixing the problems plaguing the Gap and Banana Republic brands.

Ron Boire was named president and CEO of Sears Canada after serving in that capacity on an interim basis since last October.

Boire was named acting president and CEO last October to replace Doug Campbell, the former head of the 381 unit Sears Canada operation who resigned for personal reasons. Boire was identified as the top candidate for the job at the time the appointment was made as he had spent nearly two years as executive vice president, chief merchandising officer and president of Sears and Kmart formats.

Things didn’t work for Target in Canada, but that hasn’t deterred Japan’s Fast Retailing Co., from announcing plans to enter the market with its UNIQLO format.

The company’s first stores aren’t expected to open until the fall of 2016 when two flagship locations offering budget priced apparel measuring 24,000 and 28,000 square feet are introduced in Toronto.

San Francisco -- Gap Inc. is shutting down its Piperlime business. The company plans to close the brand’s online platform and single store in New York, by the end of the first quarter of fiscal year 2015.  

The decision comes as Abe Peck, who has led Gap’s growth, innovation and digital unit, gets ready to step into the CEO suite next month.

“We plan to keep on pushing new ideas and look forward to seeing how we can apply what we’ve learned to the rest of the company,” Peck said in a statement.

Mesa, Ariz. -- Brown Group announced that Fry’s Food & Drug will anchor the retail developer’s new Mulberry Marketplace, to be built at the northwest corner of Guadalupe Road and Signal Butte Road in Mesa, Arizona.

The development is comprised of 17.70 acres – 5.3 acres owned by Brown Group partners Gary Brown and Todd Kjar, and 12.4 acres owned by Fry’s. Mulberry Marketplace will be the third Fry’s-anchored center Brown Group has developed in the last five years

New York -- Women’s footwear designer Vince Camuto, who co-founded Nine West Group and then went on to establish his own successful namesake clothing and footwear business, has passed away at the age of 78. Camuto died Wednesday at his home in Greenwich, Connecticut, after a battle with cancer.

In 1978, Camuto and Jerome Fisher founded Nine West Group, which they grew into a retail powerhouse. In 1999, the company was acquired by Jones Apparel Group for nearly $900 million.

By Matt Foster, Search Laboratory

The growth of mobile has made round-the-clock connectivity to the internet possible, allowing consumers to shop anywhere at any time. To cater for 24-hour convenience and on-the-go shopping, retailers are turning to innovative technology.

New York – Apparel retailer Cache Inc. is reportedly preparing to file for bankruptcy as early as the week of Jan. 26. According to Bloomberg, the 237-store chain is feeling the effects of reduced mall traffic and increased online and foreign-based competition.

In December, Cache said it was exploring options and had received an inquiry about a possible purchase. The company’s chief marketing officer also resigned that month. Cache previously filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1986 and came out of bankruptcy in 1988.