Department Store

Sears is freshening up its offering through a new partnership.   The department store retailer now features the Regatta Great Outdoors collection in 11 New England-based stores. The brand, which is based in Manchester, England, features active, performance, outdoor, and leisure wear. This is the brand’s first U.S. retail store debut.  

Supermodel, designer, TV star and all-around celebrity Heidi Klum is teaming up with an unusual partner.    On the heels of its entry into the United States, German discount grocer Lidl announced its first ever fashion collaboration, with Heidi Klum. The collection, described as high-end yet affordable, will be available exclusively at Lidl and will launch across its stores in Europe and the United States later this year. Collections will be featured at certain times throughout the year, during "Lidl Fashion Weeks.”

The public feud between Eddie Lampert, chairman and CEO of Sears, and a top supplier seems to have been resolved.   In his May 15 blog, Lampert took aim at some of the chain’s vendors in a blog post. It read:  

E-commerce sales may be hitting all-time highs, but the key to success is seamless online returns processes.   This was according to “Making Returns a Competitive Advantage,” a re-port from Navar. The report is based on responses from 700 U.S. con-sumers who returned an online purchase in the past 12 months.  

Already navigating tumbling sales, Macy’s is preparing for even tighter margins.   At the company’s annual investor day, Macy’s CFO Karen Hoguet said that second-quarter gross margins are running about 1 percentage point below what they were last year. The company is slashing costs in a bid to maintain its earnings forecast, which it reaffirmed on Tuesday, according to Bloomberg.  

New shopping center development in the Chicago metropolitan area will barely top 1 million sq. ft. in 2017, a nearly 50% plunge from just two years ago, according to Mid-America Real Estate Corporation.   “While new construction is not as robust as previous years, adaptive reuse of existing retail space continues to offer an opportunity for expanding retailers,” said Andy Bulson, the company’s director of suburban tenant representation.   Where new GLA does appear, reveal

Williams-Sonoma's West Elm division has tapped a company veteran as its new president.    Alex Bellos, head of Williams-Sonoma's Rejuvenation and Mark and Graham brands, is succeeding Jim Brett as president of the West Elm brand. On Tuesday, Brett announced he was resigning from the company to take a position as CEO of J.Crew.   

Billabong has a new finance chief.   The board sports apparel retailer has named Jim Howell as CFO, effective June 12. He will replace Peter Myers, who has served in the role since January 2013. Howell has spent the last 10 years leading the finance and treasury division at luxury retailer Nordstrom. In this role, he oversaw significant cost management improvements, capital management and growth initiatives.