Department Store

NEW YORK — Five minority- and women-owned businesses have successfully completed the inaugural Workshop development program to become official vendors of Macy's. The five enterprises include  Bella Tunno, Big Girl Cosmetics, Cenia, Kane & Couture and Lamik Beauty, and all have begun selling products at select Macy’s locations and/or on Macys.com.

Toronto -- Loft, a division of Ann Inc. — formerly known as Ann Taylor — will open its first Canadian location at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto, Ontario, in late 2012.

"Canada represents a natural step as we move to expand internationally, and we are excited to open our first store outside the U.S. in such a vibrant city like Toronto," said Gary Muto, brand president.

A new application at a Gap store in Manhattan takes the hassle—along with the unsightly cords and wiring—out of digital signage.

The retailer has deployed tabletop digital signage displays that run on rechargeable batteries, eliminating the need for any external power. The freestanding portable displays, from BrightSign, measure 10.5” x 19.9” x 9.9,” and feature a built-in 12.1” high-resolution screen and media player. They are self-contained and enclosed in a sleek steel display tower.

NEW YORK — Kenneth Cole, chairman and chief creative officer of Kenneth Cole Productions will now be the holder of approximately 46% of the company's common stock and will have 89% of the voting power. The deal was made possible through an agreement between Kenneth Cole Productions and Cole's controlling entity KCP Holdco.

NEW YORK — Macy's is celebrating LGBT Pride Month this June with a number of initiatives including in-store events and participation in marches around the country.

Minneapolis -- Christopher & Banks Corp. reported Tuesday a loss of $13.4 million, compared with a loss of $8.2 million in the year-ago period.

Net sales dropped to $93.6 million, from $110.4 million in the comparable period last year. Same-store sales decreased 15%.

“Our financial results reflect continued customer resistance to the residual merchandise assortment that consisted of styles that were too updated and priced too high while lacking in key categories,” said Joel Waller, president and CEO.

WASHINGTON — Organized retail crime is a growing concern for all retailers, with a staggering 96% reporting that their company has been the victim of a crime in the past year, according to NRF's Organized Retail Crime Survey. This number is up from 94.5% in the past year.  In addition, 87.7% say ORC activity in the United States has grown over the past three years.

New York -- The Boston-based private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Party City Holdings Inc., Rockaway, N.J., in a deal valued at $2.69 billion.