Direct To Consumer (DTC)

Dublin, Ireland – Discount fast-fashion retailer Primark, the Dublin-based subsidiary of U.K. retail and consumer group Associated British Foods, plans to enter the United States, opening a location in Boston. The 70,000-sq.-ft. store will open at the end of 2015 and be on the site of the former Filene's department store in the city’s downtown area.

Fort Worth, Texas – Tony Risch, executive VP of RadioShack Corp., has resigned to pursue other unspecified interests. The resignation is effective April 18, and his duties will be temporarily taken over by other executives.

Risch joined the company in December 2012. RadioShack is currently in the process of closing 1,000 stores. He previously spent 19 years at Target Corp. No timetable has been given to hire a permanent replacement.

New York – Online wedding registry Zola is launching an iPhone app, which will allow couples to create and manage their Zola registry from anywhere. With the Zola app, couples will be able to create and edit their registries while on the go, scan any product onto their registry using the barcode scanner, and use app-exclusive features like Blender, which allows them to browse the entire Zola selection, one at a time, swiping right to add to their registry or left to pass.

New York -- E-commerce company Birchbox, provide subscribers with monthly boxes of personalized beauty products for a monthly fee, announced Monday that it has raised $60 million of Series B funding from a group led by Greenwich, Conn.-based Viking Global Investors, Crain’s New York reported.

Birchbox, which is set to open its first physical store this spring, now has more than 800,000 subscribers receiving 6,500 different products from 800 brand partners.

Foot Locker has named Sheilagh M. Clarke as SVP, general counsel and secretary, effective June 1. She succeeds Gary M. Bahler, who is retiring on that date.

Clarke is currently VP, associate general counsel and assistant secretary of Foot Locker. She joined Foot Locker in 1988, and since that time has held a number of positions in the company's legal department. She is a graduate of Monmouth University and Seton Hall Law School.

Bahler, who joined the company in 1980, has been a SVP since 1998, general counsel since 1993, and secretary since 1990.

New York -- Specialty fashion retailer Express has entered the booming outlet mall sector, opening its first-ever outlet store, at Tanger Outlets National Harbor center in Washington, D.C. The retailer plans to open approximately 30 additional factory outlet locations throughout the United States in 2014, targeting such top markets as Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, New York and other top markets.

Most U.S. retailers make their first international foray in contiguous markets such as Canada or Mexico for obvious reasons. However, for those interested in massive growth potential who have a long term perspective a more exotic market beckons.

New York - L.L.Bean was ranked number one in online customer service in March 2013. According to monthly benchmark analysis from customer service analysis provider StellaService, LLBean.com showed strength in email and returns, besting all other retailers in those specific service areas.