Department Store

Knot Standard is trying on brick-and-mortar.    The online seller of custom menswear will open its first store-in-store concept on Nov. 3, at Bloomingdale's Manhattan flagship on 59th Street.    Knot Standard, which promises customers 100% creative control, uses 3D technology to allow customers to digitally design and visualize hundreds of fabric options to create their own unique custom garments on a large in-store touch-screen or on any iPad, prior to purchase.    

Four years of construction in Miami’s Brickell financial district culminates on Thursday with the opening of a three-level, open-air retail center featuring the return of Saks Fifth Avenue to the city after a 30-year absence.  

Luxury handbag and accessories brand Coach posted a 22% increase in profit for the first quarter, a result that one analyst said show the company’s turnaround is delivering.   Profit totaled $117.4 million in the quarter, or 42 cents per diluted share. Adjusted net income for the quarter totaled $126 million, or 45 cents per diluted share, slightly ahead of forecasts.  

The crusade to win the hearts, wallets and loyalty of customers is sometimes waged based on price, store location, or superior product offerings. But often, winning the battle comes down to more emotional factors – a matter of demonstrated care and consideration for a customer’s unique shopping needs. Simply put: A truly exceptional customer experience that both surprises and delights.   

Zara, the trendy global fashion retailer, will soon assume a place between Macy’s and Nordstrom at the Cherry Hill Mall in suburban Philadelphia.   

Macy’s Inc. is living up to its promise to downsize.   The department store giant announced it has sold five stores to General Growth Properties for $46 million. All but four of the locations will be closed by spring 2017.    

Online growth — and along with it, online market share — continues to accelerate.   The trajectory is so strong that sales are on pace to hit $440 billion in 2017, a leap from $395 billion expected in 2016, according to “U.S. Online Sales Forecast: Omni-Channel Retailing Challenged by Its Success,” a report from FTI Consulting.