Direct To Consumer (DTC)

New York - A series of new concept Juicy Couture stores will be opened in the U.S. and Canada beginning in 2015. The new stores will be in key, high traffic locations such as New York City, Los Angeles and Vancouver, and will replace existing Juicy Couture stores in the U.S.

Sporting goods and apparel retailer Academy Sports + Outdoors has renewed multi-year contracts with Auburn University and the University of Alabama. The renewal means that it will continue to sell the universities’ licensed products in its 13 Alabama stores.
 
The retailer is currently an official sponsor of University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide and official sporting goods retailer for Auburn University’s Tigers, and has been working with the two universities for several years.
 

Duluth, Minn. – Specialty young women’s apparel store Maurices plans to open 15 new stores, including seven grand openings and eight reopenings, through the middle of July. The new stores include:

Grand Openings:
June 27: Lufkin, Texas at Lufkin Mall and Greensburg, Indiana, at Greensburg Crossing.
July 4: Aurora, Colorado, at The Gardens on Havana.
July 5: Hoffman Estates, Illinois, at Poplar Creek Crossing.

Target is giving customers added incentive to shop online by offering free shipping for all orders of $50 or more.

The new policy, which takes effect immediately, excludes oversize and heavy items, which will be subject to a handling fee.

Green Dot Corporation has hired Thien Truong as SVP of business development and sales. Truong comes to Green Dot from American Express, where he most recently served as VP of retail and mall channels for the U.S. Payment Options group.

While at American Express, Truong led the expansion of the brand's prepaid solutions, including the nationwide launch of its prepaid card, Serve.

If the retail industry needed a catalyst for change, one that nearly mandates more efficient and sustainable packaging practices, FedEx recently provided the blowtorch to ignite it.

Minneapolis - Nearly all online orders of $50 or more at Target will now qualify for free shipping. The new policy, which takes effect June 23, makes tens of thousands more products eligible for free shipping.

Only oversize and heavy items will be excluded and subject to a handling fee. Target now matches Wal-Mart’s online free shipping offer but still has a higher threshold than the $35 free shipping offer from Amazon.com. Participants in Target’s Red Card loyalty program, which is free to join, always get free online shipping.

Former Delhaize CEO Dirk Van den Berghe was named president and CEO of Walmart Canada as the retailer eyes long-term growth opportunities including the development of small stores.