Department Store

NEW YORK — Francisco Costa, who serves as women's creative director for Calvin Klein Collection will design a limited edition capsule dress line exclusively for Macy's.

According to Macy's, this is the first time Costa has designed a more affordable dress offering for a national retailer.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target has brought in someone with both advertising and retail experience to oversee its marketing efforts. The company announced that Jeffrey Jones, II has been named as the company’s EVP and chief marketing officer, effective immediately. 

New York -- Target Corp. on Monday named Jeffrey Jones as executive VP and chief marketing officer, effective immediately. He succeeds Michael Francis who left the company in October to join J.C. Penney.

NEW YORK — Saks Inc. has selected Oracle's retail merchandising, planning and optimization applications and the Oracle e-business suite 12.1 to help integrate business operations and improve margins and profitability across all channels.

The implementation is part of a business-wide initiative by Saks to establish a modern, flexible and scalable IT platform that will provide finance, human resources, merchandising, commerce and store operations teams with real-time, mobile access to sales, inventory and performance data they require.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Ross Stores announced that Glen Boyer, previously VP real estate market research, has been named group VP real estate market research & property management.

J.C. Penney is in the very beginning of its transformation. But the first component of the strategy — a new pricing model that jettisoned hundreds of promotions in favor a three-tier model — in already in place. And not surprisingly, experts are weighing in.

It seems like forever that that Walmart has been describing the performance of its apparel department as “a work in progress,” but this could be the year things turn around thanks to a number of factors working in the company’s favor.

For starters, the return to basics emphasis is giving Walmart customers what they want and expect from Walmart, just as the market for apparel is enjoying strength and disruption at a competitor is creating the potential for share gains.

New York -- Fashion retailer Cache reported Thursday that net income for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 was $1.9 million, compared with a loss of $14.2 million the year-ago period.

Sales surged 12.5% to $62.9 million, from $55.9 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010. Same-store sales increased 12.4%.

Year to date the company has closed 12 underperforming stores and said it expects to close five more stores and open two in fiscal 2012.