Direct To Consumer (DTC)

New York City -- Retail real estate columnist Jeff Green has unveiled his newest opine on Chain Store Age’s real estate community website, discussing the impact – both positive and negative – that reducing a store footprint could have on a store’s brand.

SAN FRANCISCO — Gap Inc. has announced plans to bring the Gap brand to Serbia and Ukraine through new agreements with existing franchise partners. The stores are scheduled to open in 2011 in the cities of Belgrade and Kiev where customers will be able to shop products from Gap, GapKids and babyGap.

San Francisco -- Gap plans to open stores in Serbia and Ukraine later this year as its continues to expand its international operations.

The chain said Friday that it signed new deals with existing franchise partners that will put Gap stores in Belgrade and Kiev.

According to Stephen Sunnucks, the company's international president, the Ukraine is the fastest-growing retail market in Eastern Europe, while Serbia has many young customers who enjoy shopping.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores is buying a minority stake in online company Yihaodian, which sells groceries, consumer electronics, clothing and other items. Terms of the deal and the size of the stake were not disclosed.

The deal will help expand the Wal-Mart’s reach into China, where it has 328 stores (as of Dec. 31, 2010).

Frisco, Texas -- New York City-based Centro Properties Group said that The Foundry Big & Tall Supply Co. has opened at Preston Ridge, located in Frisco, Texas.

The 5,000-sq.-ft. store is part of the new Growth Brands Division at J.C. Penney Co.

Preston Ridge is owned by Centro.
 

New York City -- All Saints, the U.K. fashion retailer known for its dark interiors and edgy threads, has been bought by British investment firm Lion Capital and U.S. private equity firm Goode Partners, Britain’s The Telegraph reported. The purchase is likely to speed the chain’s expansion in the United States.

New York City -- Britain’s trendy fashion brand Superdry plans to open three stores in the United States by July.

New stores are slated to open at Valley Fair, Santa Clara, Calif., in late May; at the South Street Seaport in Manhattan in June; and at Mall of America, in Bloomington, Minn., in July.

The company, which hopes to open 10 to 12 stores a year over the next four years, would like to open additional stores in the Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago and Miami markets, according to Women’s Wear’s Daily.

Organic growth initiatives come out on top (46%) when it comes to how to increase market share, followed by a mix of organic growth and M&A (22%) and primarily M&A (22%), according to a survey of 152 senior financial executives of global retail companies by KPMG International.

City of Commerce, Calif. -- Los Angeles outlet shopping mall Citadel Outlets has named a new marketing team.
       
Traci Markel has been named marketing director and Simone O’Connor has been named marketing and special events manager.  The Citadel marketing team also includes Veronica Garzaro, marketing and domestic tourism manager, and Kristina Carlson, international tourism sales manager.
       

Walmart.com EVP Steve Nave and online grocer Peapod’s COO Mike Brennan are slated to share the stage at Nielsen’s upcoming Consumer 360 conference in Orlando June 20 to 22 during a session moderated by Adam Lashinsky, Fortune’s editor-at-large.