Department Store

Menomonee Falls, Wis. – Kohl’s will keep its doors open for more than 100 hours straight, beginning at 6 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 20 through 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 24. Kohl’s is also offering free gift boxes and a “no questions asked” returns policy that offers full refunds and exchanges for purchases made with a receipt or on a Kohl’s charge card.

New York — RKF has opened an office in Toronto and named Steven Alikakos president, Canada. RKF’s Canadian expansion comes just weeks after the firm formalized an affiliation with the U.K.-based retail consulting firm CWM Retail Property Advisors.

A growing number of American retailers have launched stores north of the border in recent years, a trend expected to continue. Likewise, the U.S. has seen a wave of expansions from Canadian retailers. RKF hopes to play a role in sustaining and accelerating cross-border retail migration.

San Francisco -- The RealReal, a leader in online luxury consignment, announced the appointment of Ann Paolini to its leadership team as executive VP of sales. She is joining The RealReal after spending 25 years at Neiman Marcus as a senior executive, and will be responsible for the RealReal's sales team and consignor relations.

New York -- Sales at U.S. chain stores were up 2.1% in November, or 3% without the effects of gasoline sales, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. The group had predicted an increase of 3.5% to 4.5%.

“Sales were constrained by weak apparel sales this month,” said Michael P. Niemira, chief economist, ICSC. “November was a very competitive environment for retailers, and the softness in the November tally suggests some cautiousness by consumers.”

Cincinnati -- Macy’s announced an agreement for Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores to anchor the new Mall at Miami Worldcenter, to be built in downtown Miami. Current plans call for the stores to open in fall 2016.

Miami Worldcenter, a major mixed-use project with retail, hotel, residential and convention space, is being planned by The Forbes Company and Taubman Centers.

With the holiday shopping season underway and many retailers bracing for stiff competition, Kohl’s plans on keeping its doors open for more than 100 hours, from 6 a.m. Friday, Dec. 20 through 6 p.m. Christmas Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 24.

Although the strategy is familiar to retailers such as Toys “R” Us, it is a first for Kohl’s. The move comes following a comparable-store sales increase of 0.9% for the second-quarter which fell short of Wall Street estimates.

New York -- Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th has launched its first e-commerce site, saksoff5th.com, on the Demandware platform. The new site is a significant milestone in the company’s omni-channel strategy, which will also include mobile and tablet commerce and digital integration with stores.

Watauga, Texas — Dollar Tree has leased an 8,450-sq.-ft. location at Brooks Crossing, a community retail center in Watauga, Texas. The Weitzman Group represented the shopping center, and The Retail Connection represented Dollar Tree.

The Brooks Crossing tenant line-up includes Albertsons, GameStop, Tuesday Morning, Chase, GNC, Subway, Taco Bell and others. Cencor Realty Services manages Brooks Crossing.