Department Store

Having passed the calendar’s mid-point, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at the most viewed stories of the year to date on Chainstoreage.com.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. - Sears and Kmart will allow pick up of Sears.com or Kmart.com orders at any of each other's more than 2,000 U.S. stores. Customers will be able to select free store pickup and a preferred pickup location for specially marked online items

The order will then ship to the chosen store and the customer will receive an email confirmation when it is ready for pickup. The customer has three pickup options – with each one offered in five minutes or less:

Bed Bath & Beyond plans to spend nearly $3 billion buying back its own stock during the next two years after weak results earlier this year prompted a sell-off in the company’s shares.

Newport News, Va. - Marketplace at Tech Center, a mixed-use lifestyle center Newport News, Va., will be the site of several stores and restaurants that cannot currently be found elsewhere on the Virginia Peninsula. These “first-to-market” retailers (with the exception of those that have outlet stores in Williamsburg) that have inked deals include:

• Whole Foods: 35,000-sq.-ft. of retail space
• DSW Shoe Warehouse: 18,062-sq.-ft. of retail space
• BJ’s Brewhouse: 7,400-sq.-ft. of retail space

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Holdings announced today that Kristin M. Coleman will join the company as senior VP, general counsel and corporate secretary. Coleman most recently served as Brunswick Corporation's VP, general counsel and corporate secretary.

Coleman will be responsible for the oversight and leadership of Sears Holdings' legal business.

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less will open three new stores in Indiana on July 19. The stores include Waterford Park South Shopping Center in Clarksville, Shops on Main in Schererville, and Erskine Village in South Bend. 

These new openings are part of the retailer’s 2014 expansion program, totaling approximately 75 new locations during the year. 
 

Off-price department store retailer Gordmans Stores is still without a full-time CEO, but the retailer did just fill two key marketing and e-commerce positions.

The Omaha-based apparel and home decor retailer named Amy Starr Myers to the role of SVP of marketing and Stacey Townsend was named vp and general manager of e-commerce to launch Gordman’s online sales effort.

Virginia Beach, Va. - Divaris Real Estate Inc. has signed a lease with Twist Martini & Associates for 2,442 sq. ft. of retail space in the Town Center of Virginia Beach. Twist Martini will operate a full-menu, dine-in restaurant including a martini bar, a cigar club, an outside patio area and a private lounge on the second floor.