Department Store

New York City -- The latest jewel in the portfolio of Mexican department store operator Liverpool took top honors in Chain Store Age’s 30th annual Retail Store of the Year design competition. The company’s 319,000-sq.-ft. store in the Mexico City suburb of Interlomas was named Store of the Year and was also the winning entry in the Department Store category.

Here is a complete list of the winning projects, all of which will be featured in the March issue of Chain Store Age and reviewed at its annual SPECS Conference:

New York City -- Apple Inc. and Sam’s Club are in early discussions to expand their partnership, possibly by adding in-store Apple shops in select Sam’s locations, according to a report on 9to5Mac, a website for Apple enthusiasts. Sam's Club stores already sell iPhone, iPad, and iPod products.

The report, which cited unnamed sources, said that a range of plans are being discussed, including having Sam’s simply sell a broader range of Apple products without in-store features.

Armonk, N.Y. -- An analysis released Thursday by IBM projected that retail sales are positioned for increases across a broad spectrum of categories.

According to the study, the surge will be led by a projected 8.2% rise in men’s apparel sales.

“The forecast of men’s apparel sales reflects a growing trend: men are definitely developing a taste for fashion – especially in business attire,” said Jill Puleri, global retail leader for IBM Global Business Services.

ARMONK, N.Y. — Analysts at IBM are confident that retail sales are positioned for increases across a broad spectrum of categories.

According to a report released by the company, the surge will be led by a projected 8.2% rise in men’s apparel sales.

“The forecast of men’s apparel sales reflects a growing trend: men are definitely developing a taste for fashion – especially in business attire,” said Jill Puleri, global retail leader for IBM Global Business Services.

New York City -- Barneys New York is in discussions with its lenders about restructuring, Crain’s New York reported. Barneys, which operates nine namesake stores and 17 Co-op locations, is owned by Istithmar World, the investment arm of government owned Dubai World.

“Barneys New York is actively engaged in discussions with the company's small group of lenders to improve its balance sheet and further position Barneys New York for sustainable, long-term growth and success,” said a Barneys spokeswoman in a statement.

I love some of the quotes that came out of this year’s Finance Forum, held in late January in Manhattan. The annual gathering of retail industry executives, suppliers and consultants has a reputation for lively chatter and it didn’t disappoint this year, thanks largely to J. Crew Group chairman and CEO Millard “Mickey” Drexler. The veteran — and notoriously outspoken — retailer wasn’t on the formal panel, but he had a few choice remarks to say from the audience during a question-and-answer session.

New York City -- The popular television talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres said she was “proud and happy” that J.C. Penney remained committed to her after One Million Moms asked the retailer to dump her as a spokesperson because she is gay.

The group, a division of the conservative American Family Association, warned they would boycott J.C. Penney stores if the chain did not go along with their request.

DeGeneres addressed the issue on Tuesday at the taping of her television show. The show will air on Wednesday.

There has been a lot of chatter in our industry circles — really, everywhere — about the recent big announcement from J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson regarding the iconic brand’s plans for the future. Anyone who’s visited a J.C. Penney lately — present company included — can see the brand needs to make some changes. They’ve been losing traction to competitors like Target and Kohl’s in recent years, and, in my opinion, have had some trouble defining themselves in a fairly crowded and competitive segment. Similar to the issues facing Sears, J.C.