Department Store

New York -- Total operating income of all shopping centers on a square-foot basis in the second quarter of 2012 rose 4.9% from the same quarter last year, while operating expenses rose by a larger 5.8%, according to a new quarterly shopping-center benchmarking report from The National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF) and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).

NEW YORK — Damco announced it has been named a 2012 Partner in Transformation for Sears Holdings Corp. in recognition of its innovative contributions to Sears. Damco is a leading third-party logistics provider specializing in customised freight forwarding and supply chain solutions.

Sears grants the Partners in Transformation award to a select group of supplier companies who have been helping support the transformation of the company through innovation around customers, core retail excellence and financial and operational discipline.

London -- New shopping center development in Europe is expected to increase by a quarter in 2012 to meet retailer demand for modern, high quality retail space, according to the latest research by global property adviser CBRE.

Turkey is the most active market, accounting for one-third of new space delivered in the first half of the year. This is some way ahead of Germany, with Italy and Poland just behind.

DALLAS — Celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe has designed an exclusive collection of vintage-inspired costume jewelry for Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. The collection consists of statement rings, cuffs, necklaces, and earrings.

LOS ANGELES — Sears is offering customers who want to save and donate to a good cause the chance to do both on Aug. 11, with its "Super Back-to-School Saturday" event. On this day only, Sears will donate up to $70,000 of all apparel, footwear and fine jewelry purchases made using a downloadable 15% off savings pass, both in-store and online. Donations will directly benefit charities affiliated with Sears' Team Up to Stop Bullying, an initiative designed to bring solutions quickly and effectively to victims, families, educators and communities.

New York -- Damco announced it has been named a 2012 Partner in Transformation for Sears Holdings Corp. in recognition of its innovative contributions to Sears. Damco is a leading third-party logistics provider specializing in customised freight forwarding and supply chain solutions.

Sears grants the Partners in Transformation award to a select group of supplier companies who have been helping support the transformation of the company through innovation around customers, core retail excellence and financial and operational discipline.

New York -- J.C. Penney chairman and CEO Ron Johnson on Monday sent out an email to the chain’s customers  detailing how it is returning to the pricing policies its founder James Cash Penney intended.

"While you will see many changes, you can rest assured that we'll never lose sight of our founder's values," Johnson wrote. "When James Cash Penney built his first retail stores over a century ago, he called them 'The Golden Rule,' because treating customers with respect was his highest priority."

SECAUCUS, N.J. — Panasonic has expanded its growing portfolio of beauty products with the launch of three new products: a heated eyelash curler, precision body shaver and facial hair trimmer.

The newest products join Panasonic's current beauty product portfolio, which includes facial steamers, pore cleansers and bikini trimmers.