Department Store

Walmart dominated the airwaves this holiday season and the investment paid off, according to advertising measurement firm Ace Metrix which compiled a list of the most effective holiday ads.

Walmart topped the list with a heartwarming spot called Christmas Magic which featuring a selfless child donating a toy he desired to the Salvation Army only to discover he was the recipient of the same toy on Christmas Day. Walmart aired more than 40 unique pieces of holiday-themed creative this season, making it the most prolific advertiser of the season, according to Ace Metrix.

Hollywood, Calif. -- Frederick's of Hollywood Group Inc. has entered into a definitive merger agreement that provides for the acquisition of the company by a consortium consisting of HGI Funding LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Harbinger Group Inc., and certain of the company's other common and preferred shareholders. The members of the consortium as a group beneficially own approximately 88.6% of the company's common stock.

Brown Shoe Company-brand Sam Edelman, in partnership with leading apparel manufacturer Kellwood Company, has appointed Leslie Singer as president of Sam Edelman Apparel, a new division within Kellwood.

Singer joins Kellwood from NYDJ, where she lead sales and merchandising for women’s sportswear. Her responsibilities spanned all channels of distribution, including department stores, specialty stores and direct business outlets, such as Zappos and Amazon. Under her leadership, the company saw double-digit growth for more than three years.

Cincinnati – Macy’s will build a major direct-to-consumer fulfillment center near Owasso in Tulsa County, Okla., to support continued sales growth driven by Macy’s omni-channel strategy. The company is expected to invest more than $170 million in the facility, including the latest technology in material handling equipment and warehouse management systems.

London — Starwood Capital Group has acquired seven retail parks and shopping gallerias in Sweden for SEK 3.9 billion, according to CBRE, Starwood’s adviser on the transaction. Kooperativa Forbundet, a Swedish retail group, was the seller.

New York -- Beginning on Friday, Dec. 20 at 7 a.m., 37 Macy’s stores in select cities across the country including Macy’s Herald Square in New York City; Union Square in San Francisco; and State Street in Chicago, will stay open overnight for four days in a row of non-stop shopping until Christmas Eve on Tuesday, Dec. 24 at 6 p.m.

In addition to the 24-hour stores, mostly all stores nationwide, except furniture galleries and select locations, will offer extended hours each night until 2 a.m. through Dec. 23.

North Plainfield, N.J. — The Shops at 5 in Plymouth, Mass., has named Levin Management its exclusive managing agent.

The 420,000-sq. ft. open-air shopping center takes its name from its location off Route 3 at Exit 5 on Long Pond Road. Anchor tenants include BJ’s Wholesale Club, TJ Maxx/HomeGoods and Kohl’s. Other national names include The Sports Authority, PetSmart, Pier 1 Imports, Panera Bread and IHOP.