Direct To Consumer (DTC)

Hearts On Fire is showing off its new store design at the King of Prussia Mall in King of Prussia, Pa. The location is part of Hearts On Fire's global expansion plan, and is designed to transform the way consumers relate to and buy fine diamond jewelry in malls nationwide.

Washington, D.C. — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has approved the rezoning application for Combined Properties’ Penn Da Plaza in Alexandria, Va. The project will completely redevelop the current retail center and replace it with a mixed-use project containing up to 400 new apartments, 41 townhomes and 35,000 to 45,000 sq. ft. of community retail. Combined Properties plans to anchor the retail component with a specialty grocer.

Pittsburgh – American Eagle Outfitters will launch the ShopKick shopBeacon iBeacon solution in 100 top-performing American Eagle Outfitters and Aerie stores across the country. shopBeacon is an Apple iBeacon-based presence signal for retailers that offers customers rewards, in a currency called "kicks," for a variety of actions they take as they go about shopping.

Los Angeles – American Apparel has opened a newly remodeled and expanded store in Berlin, Germany. Located in Mitte, the central borough of Berlin, the store was originally opened in February 2007 as American Apparel's third location in the city.

Almost seven-in-10 consumers surveyed expect to make more money, save more money and afford things they need in 2014, according to RetailMeNot’s 2014 Shoppers Trend Forecast. 

Snellville, Ga. — Sprouts Farmers Market has signed a lease to occupy 26,000 sq. ft. in The Shoppes at Webb Gin in Snellville, Ga., an affluent suburb of Atlanta. This will be among the first Sprouts locations east of the Mississippi. Construction has begun on the store, which is slated to open this summer.

Groupon has expanded its fashion and apparel footprint with its acquisition of Ideeli, a leading online flash fashion retailer, for $43 million in cash.

Ideeli was founded in 2007 and its members number in the millions.

New York -- In a hugely attended address kicking off the National Retail Federation’s 2014 “Big Show” at Javits Center in New York City, shopping center developer Rick Caruso challenged attendees – most of them retailers from the technology side of their companies – to remember the “human” side of retail.