Department Store

MINNEAPOLIS-- This spring Target is celebrating the five-year anniversary of its GO International program with a collection that features 34 dresses from 17 past GO International designers. Ranging in price from $24.99 to $44.99, the GO International Designer Collective will be available March 13 through April 10 at most Target stores and Target.com.

New York City -- A Tuesday report by the Wall Street Journal said that hedge fund billionaire and Sears Holding Corp. chairman Edward Lampert has reported holding a 5.8% stake in Gap Inc.

Lampert reported the stake in a 13G filing, or a filing for passive investors, with the Securities and Exchange Commission late Monday.

His ESL Partners company and affiliates reported beneficially holding 35 million common shares.

Dayton, Ohio -- Parmida Home said Tuesday it will open its fifth retail store in the Greene shopping center, located in Dayton, Ohio, on April 1.

“We are very excited to grow in the Dayton area,” said Parmida marketing director Siotha Vest.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. said Tuesday it will open a small-format store in an historic Chicago building constructed in 1899 to house a department store. The national landmark, designed by famed architect Louis Sullivan, was home to the Carson Pirie Scott department store from 1904 to 2007. The retailer also announced that its small-format locations across the United States will be named CityTarget, including the store in Chicago.

Wells Fargo retail analyst Matt Nemer put several leading retailers to the test this week with an innovative approach to research. According to Barron’s, he went on a $5,000 shopping spree on the websites of some of the largest Internet-only and traditional retailers. He said Amazon.com offered the best shopping experience, and he rated the retailer at outperform. Walmart.com was said to have higher prices than Amazon’s, but had strong customer service and didn’t showed up as well in searches.

New York City -- Total retail sales (excluding autos) grew by 5.5% year-over-year, on par with December’s growth rate, and slightly higher than November’s, according to MasterCard Advisors’ SpendingPulse. SpendingPulse reports on national retail and services sales and is based on aggregate sales activity in the MasterCard payments network, coupled with survey-based estimates for all other payment forms

Hollywood, Fla. -- Perry Ellis said it has opened a men’s fashion store in Seminole Paradise at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Boca Raton, Fla. -- West Palm Beach, Fla.-based American Commercial Realty Corp. said it has completed several new leases at the Shoppes at Boca Greens in Boca Raton, Fla.

Cosmetics and beauty retailer Harmon Face Values, a division of Bed Bath & Beyond, will open a new, 7,400-sq.-ft. store, the retailer’s first full store in Florida.

Children’s clothing retailer Denny’s Children’s Wear will relocate and expand to an 8,600-sq.-ft. location within the center.

Paducah, Ky. -- Youngstown, Ohio-based Cafaro Co. announced that Charming Charlie will open a new fashion accessories store at Kentucky Oaks Mall, in Paducah, Ky.

The Houston-based retailer will open a 7,000-sq.-ft. store in late spring 2011. This will be the second Charming Charlie store in Kentucky, the first being located in the Lexington area.

New York City -- Abercrombie & Fitch’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City will be temporarily closed after a two-alarm fire last night damaged the building.

More than 25 units and 125 firefighters responded to the blaze, which began about 11 p.m. local time last night.