Apparel

Study: Shopper activity slightly rebounds in Oct.
San Francisco -- Euclid, the leader of in-store retail analytics, today releases its monthly retail benchmarks report to analyze shopper activity and behavior during the month of October.
Study: Arizona town leads U.S. in chargebacks
Tampa Bay, Fla. –- The community of Show Low, Arizona leads all U.S. cities in rates of chargebacks for credit card disputes, with a 2.2% chargeback rate. According to a new study from Chargebacks 911, a division of Global Risk Technologies, the top five cities (including multiple ties) are as follows: 1. 2.2% chargeback rate: Show Low, Arizona 85901

Crocs names McKinney global advertising agency of record

New York -- Crocs Inc. has named McKinney as its global advertising agency of record. The agency will provide everything from creative and strategy support to media activation and brand management for all Crocs shoe collections.
Fayette Mall expansion officially opens

Lexington, Ky. --CBL & Associates Properties announced the opening of the expansion at Fayette Mall in Lexington, Ky. Designed to significantly enhance the offerings at the shopping center, the redevelopment of the former Sears location included expanding the mall entrance to create 115,000 sq. ft. of new retail space for a mix of fashion stores, home furnishings and fine dining options in the heart of the shopping center.
Venture Commercial completes sale of two Burlington Coat Factory buildings

Dallas -- X Team International announced that partner Venture Commercial Real Estate completed the sale of two properties in Richardson, Texas and Waco, Texas, representing more than 150,000 sq. ft. of retail space.
Walmart stretching out Black Friday to five days

Bentonville, Ark. -- Following the lead of some other retailers, Walmart is spreading out Black Friday beyond the day after Thanksgiving.
Skechers opens 1,000th store; 35 to 40 more locations to open by yearend

Manhattan Beach, Calif. -- Skechers is celebrating the opening of its 1,000th retail store. The company, which operates in more than 75 countries, hit the milestone mark with the opening of a new store in Mexico City on Wednesday, preceded by an additional store opening in Mexico earlier this week and two in California last week.
Body Central adds apparel expertise

Veteran apparel merchant Celia Clancy spent time at Bradlees, Walmart and TJX Companies. Now she is the newest member of struggling specialty retailer Body Central’s board of directors.
Men’s Wearhouse likes look of service

Planning for a wedding will never be the same thanks to a new service Men’s Wearhouse is launching in 2015 to elevate its service-based value proposition.
REI names its first-ever chief creative officer

Seattle -- Outdoor outfitter REI has added a chief creative officer slot, and hired Ben Steele to fill the position, effective Jan. 1. Steele most recently served as executive creative director at global brand firm Hornall Anderson in Seattle.
Luxottica Group goes live with JDA solution

Bracknell, England -- JDA Software Group announced that eyewear manufacturer/marketer Luxottica Group SpA has gone live with its implementation of JDA Supply Chain Planner, from the JDA Manufacturing Planning.
REI hires first chief creative officer

Leading national outdoor gear and apparel retailer REI named agency executive Ben Steele as the company's first ever chief creative officer.

Steele most recently served as executive creative director at Hornall Anderson in Seattle, a globally recognized brand experience design agency with additional offices in London and New York. He will start in his role at REI's headquarters on January 1, 2015.