Department Store

Former Kohl’s and Carhartt merchandising executive Sue Fuller was named chief merchandising officer at Vera Bradley, an upscale retailer and designer brand looking to restore growth under the leadership of new CEO Robert Wallstrom.

New York – Barnes & Noble, Inc. has appointed president Michael P. Huseby to CEO. Immediately, in his role, Huseby will be responsible for all of the company’s business units including Barnes & Noble Retail, Barnes & Noble College and Nook Media.

He will report to the board of directors and has been elected to serve on the board. Huseby joined Barnes & Noble as CFO in March 2012, and was promoted to president in July 2013.

Macy’s rocked the retail world late Wednesday announcing record holiday sales while simultaneously cutting 2,500 jobs and detailing plans to close five stores.

New York — Faith Hope Consolo, chairman, and Joseph A. Aquino, executive VP of Douglas Elliman’s Retail Group, have arranged a third Manhattan location for Roundabout, a luxury consignment and resale retailer.

The new location between 82nd and 83rd Streets is also the brand’s second Madison Avenue store.

The National Retail Federation will honor Jim Sinegal, Costco co-founder and board member, with its Gold Medal Award during Retail’s BIG Show.

Additionally, NRF has named South Korea’s Lotte Shopping as the International Retailer of the Year. Shin Heon, president and CEO of the company, will accept the award. Nike has been named Retail Innovator of the Year, and Half Price Books’ EVP and chief strategy officer Kathy Doyle Thomas has been selected as 2014’s Silver Plaque recipient.

Secaucus, N.J. – The Children’s Place Retail Stores has expanded its existing franchise agreement with Fawaz A. AlHokair & Co. SJSC covering retail stores in Saudi Arabia, to include opening a total of approximately 25 stores in Egypt and the Commonwealth of Independent States (C.I.S. Region) of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia and Kazakhstan, beginning in mid-2014.

Seattle -- Nordstrom announced today plans to open a Nordstrom Rack at The Shops at SkyView Center in Queens, N.Y., and another at Lake Brandson Plaza, Brandon, Fla. Both stores are scheduled to open in fall 2014.

Nordstrom Rack is set to open its first Brooklyn, N.Y., location on Fulton Street in spring 2014 followed by a second location at the Gateway Center in Brooklyn, in the fall. When it opens, The Shops at SkyView Center Nordstrom Rack will be the company's first Queens location.

Vancouver, British Columbia -- Mobile shopping continues to grow at a rapid pace, with an increasing number of mobile shoppers embracing Internet retailer apps, social shopping apps, and brick-and-mortar retail apps to enhance their shopping experience. However, new research prepared by Yankee Group for mobile analytics firm Mobdia Technology shows usage of these apps varies widely depending on many factors, including the type and quality of the mobile app.