Discount Store

Seattle -- Nordstrom announced plans to open a Nordstrom Rack, at Chapel Hills East in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and one at Destiny USA mall in Syracuse, New York.

The 33,357-sq.-ft. Destiny Mall location is scheduled to open in fall 2015. The retailer recently announced new Rack stores opening in Buffalo and Albany, also in fall 2015.

The 31,203-sq.-ft. Chapel Hills East Nordstrom is scheduled to open in spring 2016. The property is owned and managed by DDR Corp.

Memphis -- Discount general merchandise chain Fred’s has named Michael K. Bloom as its president and COO, effective immediately. Until recently, Bloom held the same position at Family Dollar Stores Inc.; he resigned in early January after just over two years in the position and could be owed as much as $4.8 million in severance by Family Dollar, according to an SEC filing.

Memphis -- Discount general merchandise chain Fred’s has named Michael K. Bloom as its president and COO, effective immediately. Until recently, Bloom held the same position at Family Dollar Stores Inc.; he resigned in early January after just over two years in the position and could be owed as much as $4.8 million in severance by Family Dollar, according to an SEC filing.

New York -- A new index called the Price Perception Index provides insight into digital pricing strategies. The index, created by e-commerce startup Bommerang Commerce, measures how retailers optimize prices to attract buyers, compete with other retailers and build their business on a mix of profit margins and volume.

The first Price Perception Index looks at the complex competition between Amazon.com and Walmart.com.

Matthews, N.C. -- Family Dollar is urging its shareholders to support a buyout offer from rival discounter Dollar Tree with less than two weeks remaining before a vote on the pending deal.  Family Dollar shareholders are scheduled to vote Jan. 22. on whether to accept the Dollar Tree offer.

Mandeville, La. -- Stirling Properties announced the addition of Whole Foods Market to the tenant lineup at Premier Centre, a 273,000-sq.-ft. shopping center near the intersection of U.S. Highway 190 and North Causeway Boulevard in Mandeville, Louisiana.

Boston -- Gordon Brothers Group and Hilco Merchant Resources will begin going-out-of-business sales at all 287 Deb Shops retail locations nationwide beginning Jan. 9. Deb Shops, a Philadelphia-based women’s fashion discount retailer, filed for Chapter 11 protection on Dec. 4, 2014.  

Matthews, N.C. – Higher sales of discounted, low-margin items did not necessarily add up to a happy holiday season for Family Dollar Stores Inc. The company missed Wall Street expectations for both net income and net sales during the first quarter of fiscal 2015, even as Dollar Tree and Family Dollar both continue making preparations for a multi-billion-dollar takeover this year.