Department Store

Secaucus, N.J. -- The Children's Place announced the appointment of Robert Vill as group VP, finance, effective Sept. 8. He will report to Michael Scarpa, COO and CFO.

Saks Fifth Avenue is launching a new user-generated content hub on its e-commerce site. Called #SaksStyle and based on the Curalate Fanreel image integration platform, #SaksStyle allows customers to display photos from Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr in a social shopping environment.

Here are three reasons to like (and very possibly emulate) what Saks is doing with its latest social venture.

New York - Tiffany & Co. has named Jill Beraud as an executive VP, effective Oct. 13. Beraud will have responsibility for global retail operations including all sales channels in every region, as well as oversight of strategic store development and real estate.

Beraud, 54, joins Tiffany from salon product manufacturer Living Proof where she has been CEO since 2011. Prior to that, her experience includes senior-level executive and marketing roles at PepsiCo Inc., L Brands, Inc. and The Procter & Gamble Co., among others.

Casual apparel brand U.S. Polo Assn. has opened its first location in Brooklyn, in the vicinity of the Barclays Arena.

Designed by Montroy Andersen DeMarco (MADGI), New York, the 2,800-sq.-ft. space has a clean, modern feel and includes  the brand’s signature ‘flag wall’ fashioned out of folded T-shirts,  a jeans island and a T-shirt island, and a 12-ft.-long cash wrap counter

New York -- Sycamore Partners announced that it has reorganized its Nine West Footwear Group into four separate businesses, each with its own leadership team. The top leadership has changed as well, as the company announced Nine West Footwear Group CEO Kathy Nedorostek has stepped down. She will be replaced in the interim by Andrew Hede, a turnaround specialist and managing director with Alvarez & Marsal in New York.

Ankeny, Iowa – Dick’s Sporting Goods and Gordmans are reportedly the anchor stores for a proposed shopping center in Ankeny, Iowa. According to the Des Moines Register, St. Louis-based developer Staenberg Group seeks to begin construction on the project, known as Delaware Commons, in the fall.

Staenberg Group is seeking to obtain environmental permits relating to wetlands on the property. The center also has space for a third main anchor store, several junior anchors, and other small stores and restaurants.

Instagram has become a mainstream social media tool for retailers. However, while most retailers limit their Instagram usage to maintaining an official page or encouraging customers to post photos with Instagram hashtags as part of promotional campaigns, some retailers are more forward-thinking in their Instagram approach.

Here are three retailers showing real insight in how they are leveraging Instagram to its fullest potential:

Redlands, Calif. -- Majestic Realty Retail announced today that it has signed lease agreements with four new retailers at its Mountain Grove at Citrus Plaza retail and entertainment center, including agreements with The Gap (7,500 sq. ft.), Banana Republic (7,500 sq. ft.), Old Navy (15,000 sq. ft.) and Ulta (10,000 sq. ft.).  An additional 100,000 sq. ft. of national and regional tenant leases are under negotiation and expected to be signed in September.