Department Store

Columbus, Ohio -- Express said Thursday that its CEO, Michael Weiss, will also take over the role of board chairman, because of the current chairman's involvement in a rival company.

Weiss succeeds Stefan Kaluzny in the chairman's job. Kaluzny joined Express' board when the private equity firm where he worked, Golden Gate Capital, bought Limited Brands in 2007. Kaluzny has since joined another private equity firm, Sycamore Partners, which recently brought a controlling stake in Mast Global Fashions, which is Limited Brands' apparel sourcing division.

NEW YORK — With fewer retailers following in Walmart's footsteps in not disclosing monthly sales, it has become harder to gauge the overall health of the industry. Still, enough of them reported this monht to show that consumer spending slowed in October, sending a note of caution as retailers head into the holiday season. Eleven retailers missed expectations for same-store sales, while three chains beat estimates, according to a preliminary tally by Thomson Reuters.

New York City -- Macy’s said Thursday that it will a full-line Bloomingdale’s in Glendale Galleria in Glendale, Calif., in fall 2013.

The 120,000-sq.-ft., two-level store will headline an upscale redevelopment of the center being planned by its owner, General Growth Properties. The top two floors of the former Mervyn’s location will be entirely remodeled by Bloomingdale’s, with construction expected to begin in 2012.

NEW YORK — Kohl's Corp. reported a 3.9% rise in same-store sales in October, better than analysts’ expectations, amid strong demand for its new Jennifer Lopez and Mark Anthony brands.

In a statement, CEO Kevin Mansell said that customers responded favorably to the pair of new brands, as well as the company's marketing programs.

“As we enter the important fourth quarter, we plan to continue our investment in marketing, especially digital and broadcast, to drive customer traffic and broaden our reach,” he said.

Chelmsford, Mass. -- The Kronos Retail Labor Index edged down to 3.8% in October 2011, following an upwardly revised 4.2% for September, which was the first reading above 4% since October 2008. Even with the small decline in October, the Retail labor Index remains well above the series low of 2.8% in January 2011.

New York City -- Kohl's Corp. reported a 3.9% rise in same-store sales in October, better than analysts’ expectations, amid strong demand for its new Jennifer Lopez and Mark Anthony brands.

In a statement, CEO Kevin Mansell said that customers responded favorably to the pair of new brands, as well as the company's marketing programs.

“As we enter the important fourth quarter, we plan to continue our investment in marketing, especially digital and broadcast, to drive customer traffic and broaden our reach,” he said.

NEW YORK — Consumer spending slowed in October, sending a note of caution as retailers head into the holiday season. Eleven retailers missed expectations for same-store sales, while three chains beat estimates, according to a preliminary tally by Thomson Reuters. However, while the October results were not as promising as some retailers had hoped, sales for the most part rose and most chains reported results that were only slightly off from analysts’ estimates. Some analysts blamed Wall Street for underestimating how much caution is still out there.

New York City -- Costco Wholesale Corp. reported a 9% increase in same-store sales in October, helped by strong performances in the United States and abroad, just short of the 9.2% increase predicted by analysts.

Costco’s same-store U.S. sales rose 9% and were up 8% overseas. Taking out inflation in gas prices and a slightly negative impact from foreign currencies, the metric increased 6% in the United State and 9% internationally.