Direct To Consumer (DTC)

Chicago -- RKF has announced three promotions for brokerage professionals in its Chicago office. Lara Keene has been promoted from senior director to managing director. Since joining RKF in May 2012, Keene has advised a variety of retailers including Allen Edmonds, Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt, Forever 21 and Fig & Olive, and currently works with Bareburger, Piada, Alexis Bittar, IT’Sugar, L’Occitane en Provence, Rent the Runway and Sam Edelman. Most recently, she secured a 3,400-sq.-ft. flagship for Zadig & Voltaire and an 850-sq.-ft.

By David Rekuc, Marketing Director, Ripen E-commerce

It's three days before the Christmas party and you still don't have that Secret Santa gift for your cousin. You head to the perfume store, hoping for the right present to make up for a year of no calls and absent-minded Facebook likes. You find a gift and check the price online only to see it is 15 bucks cheaper. Do you make the online purchase and risk it getting delivered in time? Or walk out with a more expensive, but safer deal? This is the mindset of your typical holiday shopper.

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.
 

San Diego - Also Known As Codes (AKA Codes) has rolled out its new website featuring unique coupon codes and online deals for men's and women's shoes, appliances and home furnishings. The website's staff also searches the Internet for sales and promotions.

AKA Codes is connected with various online retailers and operates 24/7, 365 days a year. Thus already discounted prices can further be reduced with one of the website's coupon codes.

New York -- American Apparel Inc. has reached an agreement with its largest shareholders that will bolster its financial situation, remake its board, and keep the retailer’s manufacturing in the United States.

Edison, N.J. -- Kevin Mead, the former senior VP, director of Stores for The Children's Place, has joined the senior team at Aerosoles as executive VP, retail reporting directly to CEO Jules Schneider. Mead will lead the strategic direction, ongoing expansion and operations of Aerosoles retail and outlet locations.

Warby Parker, the hip online eyewear retailer, has opened its sixth retail location, a 1,050-sq.-ft. store in Dallas.  

The Container Store saw same-store sales in the first quarter slip 0.8%, putting an end to a 16-quarter streak.

“We thought our sluggish sales were all because of weather and calendar shifts that began last November and continued into the spring, but now we’ve come to realize it’s more than weather and calendar. Consistent with so many of our fellow retailers, we are experiencing a retail ‘funk,’” said chairman and CEO Kip Tindell.

New York - Stuart Weitzman Holdings LLC has named Monica Schwartz as chief global digital and e-commerce officer. In this newly created position, Schwartz will oversee all aspects of global e-commerce and digital strategies for the stuartweitzman.com platforms in the United States, Canada, Europe and Hong Kong, as well as the soon-to-be-launched e-commerce site in China.

New York -- Crumbs Bake Shops on Monday closed its 48 stores. The cupcake store chain has been struggling for some time. In a May filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, it warned that it "may be forced to curtail or cease its activities" if its operations didn't generate enough cash flow.

Last week, Nasdaq suspended the trading of Crumbs shares on the grounds that the company no longer had at least $2.5 million in shareholder equity, or met benchmarks for an annual net profit.