Department Store

GE Capital is providing MerchSource with a $130 million senior credit facility providing working capital for the company’s operations in the U.S. and Hong Kong.
 
MerchSource, headquartered in Irvine, California, ideates, designs, develops and distributes a variety of consumer products in categories including electronics, toys, home décor, household accessories and pet supplies. Its products are sold in retailers such as Bed Bath & Beyond, CVS, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Target, Walgreens and Wal-Mart.
 

Cincinnati -- The Streets of West Chester, a 167,638-sq.-ft. lifestyle center near Cincinnati, is kicking off the pre-development leasing and marketing for the second phase of its retail center with a 200,000-sq.-ft. planned expansion slated to open in spring 2016.

The Streets of West Chester expansion will join the opening of the new Bass Pro, beginning construction this summer, adjacent to The Streets, and will provide shoppers with new retail, restaurants and entertainment.

Randolph, N.J. -- Retailers are behind Amazon in analytics maturity, according to a new research report from EKN Research. Eighty percent of retailers say they are behind Amazon in analytics maturity, and 71% of retailers perform either basic analytics reporting or none at all – revealing retailers’ inability to take advantage of the data that is available to them.
 

Gap and Banana Republic may have had soft sales in June, but performance at the company’s Old Navy brand saved the day.

The company reported an increase of 1% in June sales compared with last year. Net sales for the five-week period ended July 5 were $1.54 billion compared with net sales of $1.53 billion for the five-week period ended July 6 last year.
 

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less will open two new stores in the Southeast on July 19th.  The store openings are in The Village on Pooler Parkway in Pooler, Georgia, and Dixie Valley Shopping Center in Southwest Louisville, Kentucky.  These new openings are part of the retailer’s 2014 expansion program, totaling approximately 75 new locations during the year.

Together, Ross Dress for Less and dd’s Discounts currently operate over 1,300 off-price apparel and home fashion stores in 33 states, the District of Columbia and Guam.

New Albany, Ohio -- Abercrombie & Fitch has reorganized its Diversity & Inclusion structure. Todd Corley, who has led the efforts since 2004, is leaving to launch the TAPO Institute, which will focus on inclusive leadership based on “principles of transparency, authenticity, persistence, and optimism,” Abercrombie said.

Orlando, Fla. -- Nordstrom announced plans to shutter its store in the Florida Mall Orlando, Florida. Originally opened in 2002, the store will close its doors on August 16, 2014.

Plano, Texas - Rent-A-Center, Inc. has named Aubyn Thomas as VP marketing. With more than 15 years of leadership experience in brand strategy and customer-relationship management, Thomas recently served as VP consumer marketing at Lowe’s Home Improvement, where she was responsible for delivery of all consumer and professional marketing programs.

Earlier in her career, Thomas held leadership positions with organizations such as Macy’s, Caesars Entertainment, Bank of America and Lenscrafters Retail Group.