Direct To Consumer (DTC)

San Francisco -- Williams-Sonoma said Thursday it has launched a new direct-to-consumer gifts and accessories brand called Mark and Graham. The brand will debut with its own direct mail catalog and website.

Davenport, Iowa -- Department store chain Von Maur said Thursday that it has opened a 4,000-sq.-ft. Dry Goods store at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines, Iowa – the specialty retailer’s first location in the state and its eighth overall.

The concept, which centers around contemporary women's clothing and accessories, is strategically growing; the plan, said the company, is to have a nationwide presence. It recently launched its online business at Drygoodsusa.com.

Seattle -- Nordstrom reported third-quarter net earnings of $146 million, up 15% from $127 million for the same quarter last year. Its results were slightly below analysts’ expectations.

The company said that its third quarter same-store sales, which reflected a timing shift that moved a week of the company’s important Anniversary Sale event into August this year, increased 10.7%. Top-performing merchandise categories included men’s shoes, men’s apparel and kids’ apparel.

Spanx, the company best known for its shapewear and hosiery, has opened its first-ever freestanding location, in Tyson’s Corner Center, McLean, Va.

Atlanta -- Aaron’s said Tuesday it is opening five of its lease-to-own stores in the Midwest, south and on the East Coast.

From mid October to early November, Aaron's stores have opened in Delaware, Ohio; Ionia, Mich.; Franklin, Ky.; Indianola, Miss., and Towson, Md.

In September, the company opened its 2,000th store – located in the Bronx, N.Y.

NEW YORK — Tiffany & Co. announced plans to open a 10,000 sq. ft., multi-level flagshop store in Paris in 2014. The store will be located at 62, Avenue des Champs Elysées.

Austin, Texas — Golfsmith International has named Sue E. Gove president and CEO.

Gove, formerly president and COO of the combined Golfsmith and Golf Town business, has also served as the chief integration officer leading the successful Golfsmith-Golf Town combination, which was finalized this past July. Marty Hanaka, the previous CEO, will serve in an advisory role through the end of this year.

New York -- Tiffany & Co. announced that it plans to open a flagship in Paris.

The approximately 10,000-sq.-ft. multi-level store will be located at 62 Avenue des Champs Elysées and is expected to open in 2014.

SAN FRANCISCO — Gap Inc.appears to be on the upswing, reporting positive same-store sales across all of its divisions for both the third quarter and October. 

Net sales for the third quarter increased 8% to $3.86 billion compared with $3.59 billion for the third quarter last year. The company’s third quarter comparable sales were up 65 compared with a 5% decrease in the third quarter last year.

Brisbane, Calif. -- Bebe stores reported Friday a net loss of $2.6 million for the quarter ended Sept. 29, compared with net income of $2.4 million for the year-ago period.

Sales slipped 7.3% to $117.1 million from $126.3 million, and same-store sales dropped 8.7%.

During the quarter, the company opened five 2b stores and closed seven Bebe stores, and said it expects to open five Bebe stores and one 2b store in fiscal 2013 as well as close five Bebe stores and one 2b pop-up store.