Department Store

Washington, D.C. -- A survey released Tuesday by the National Retail Federation and conducted by BIGresearch showed that department stores, clothing stores and websites are expected to attract most of the last-minute back-to-school purchases.

According to NRF’s 2011 Back-to-School survey, the average family has completed 43% of shopping for K-12 students, similar to last year’s 43.2%. College students and their parents have completed 44.3% f their shopping, up slightly from last year’s 43.1%.

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Best Buy, Sears and Target ranked as the top three cross-channel performers in a study by CrossView, a provider of cross-channel commerce solutions. The study, which examined the cross-channel capabilities of 25 top retailers, found that a majority of retailers are providing an unsatisfactory cross-channel experience. 

Highlights of the study, which is due to be released Aug. 30, include:

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Sports Authority announced that Darrell Webb has been named as interim CEO of the company, replacing David Campisi who is resigning as CEO and president of the company. 

As previously reported by Retailing Today, Webb currently serves as the chairman and CEO of Jo-Ann Stores. Webb previously has held senior positions at The Kroger Company, Fred Meyer Stores and Quality Food Centers. Webb will retain his position as chairman of Jo-Ann Stores while serving as Interim CEO of Sports Authority. 

Dallas -- Tuesday Morning Corp. reported Monday that it swung to a loss of $1.4 million in the quarter ended June 30, compared with a profit of $1.3 million in the year-ago period.
 
Revenue fell 3% to $194.8 million, from $200.8 million last year. Same-store sales declined 4.5%.
 
For the year, net income fell 11% to $9.6 million. Revenue dipped nearly 1% to $821.2 million.
 

Seattle – Guess said Tuesday that it will open a new store in November at Pacific Place shopping center, in downtown Seattle.

The shop will open on level 2 between Club Monaco and bebe and is one of three new store openings within a few months of each other at Pacific Place, which includes Kate Spade New York and Clarks, as well as a major remodel for Victoria’s Secret and the opening of its Pink boutique.

New York City -- David Campisi, CEO and president of Sports Authority has suddenly resigned after just 17 months in the position, according to The Denver Post and other newspapers. Campisi joined Sports Authority in 2004 and served in various executive roles prior to being named chief executive and president in 2010. No reason has been given for the departure.

San Francisco -- Gap said Tuesday it plans to open stores in both Vietnam and Guam as part of the retailer’s efforts to ramp up overseas expansion.

A Gap store is slated to open in Vietnam in October, followed by a Banana Republic store in late 2012.

The first two Gap stores will open in Ho Chi Minh City as part of a franchise deal with Imex Pan Pacific, with additional stores set for Hanoi in 2012.

New York City -- Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, through his Inmobiliaria Carso SA investment fund, spent $8.8 million to up his stake in Saks, according to Bloomberg. 

Slim, who was Saks’s largest shareholder before the purchases and last acquired the New York-based retailer’s shares in April 2009, raised his stake to 16% from 15.7%, the report said. Slim has made it a practice to add to his investment holdings when the markets slump.