Department Store

The Neiman Marcus Group has added Adam Brotman, Phillipe Bourguignon, and Vivek “Vic” Gundotra to its board of directors.

Brotman is chief digital officer for Starbucks and is responsible for Starbucks’ core digital businesses, including mobile and mobile payments, Web, card, loyalty, e-commerce, wi-fi and the Starbucks Digital Network. Prior to joining Starbucks in 2009, Brotman held key leadership positions at leading digital media companies including Corbis and PlayNetwork.

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Stores’ board approved a succession plan that elevates Barbara Rentler from president and chief merchant to CEO, effective June 1, replacing Michael Balmuth who will transition to executive chairman.

Current president and COO Michael O’Sullivan will continue in his present position.

Other promotions effective June 1 include: Lisa Panattoni to president, merchandising; and Bernard Brautigan to group executive VP merchandising.

New York - Uniqlo announced it will enter two new markets, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, starting this spring. The Japanese apparel giant will open three stores in the Philadelphia market and six stores in the Boston metro area.  In addition, Uniqlo will open a pop-up shop at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston, early this summer.

Uniqlo will enter Pennsylvania with three stores in the greater Philadelphia area:

• King of Prussia Mall, King of Prussia (May 16)
• 1608 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia (Oct. 3)

Washington, D.C. -- More than two-thirds of U.S. shoppers will buy gift cards during the spring and summer seasons, according to a just-released survey by the Retail Gift Card Association.

Buying occasions include Mother’s Day, graduation and weddings. Key findings of the RGCA spring and summer gift card study, which polled more than 1,100 American shoppers, include:

Toronto -- Hudson’s Bay Company named Paul V. Beesley as CFO, effective in June.

Beesley is a senior executive with extensive experience in financial management and strategic development across a range of leading Canadian-based companies. From 2000 to 2014, he served in a number of executive roles with Empire Company Limited, a corporation with annual sales in excess of $19 billion and operations in retailing and related real estate, including chief corporate development officer of the Sobeys unit and executive VP and CFO of Empire.

Hudson’s Bay Company has named Paul V. Beesley as CFO, effective June 2014.

Seattle --- Nordstrom has launched nordstromrack.com, a new e-commerce site and mobile app, built on a shared platform with HauteLook, Nordstrom's flash sale business. The new site gives customers access to shop Nordstrom Rack merchandise alongside HauteLook’s signature flash sale events.

Chevy Chase, Md. — Formerly known as 2b Bebe, Bebe has rebranded at six Mills properties across the country.

Shoppers will find the new Bebe concept at Arizona Mills (Phoenix), Franklin Mills (Philadelphia), Great Mall (San Francisco), Ontario Mills (Los Angeles), Potomac Mills (Washington, D.C.) and Sawgrass Mills (Ft. Lauderdale/Miami).

The Mills, a hybrid outlet concept, is one of Simon Property Group’s five real estate platforms.