eCommerce

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples Inc. announced Tuesday a strategic plan to shore up sales and profitability that will involve accelerating the closure of 15 U.S. stores and 45 stores in Europe.

The office supplies retailer also said it will ramp up investment in its online and mobile efforts.

The announcement comes after a soft second quarter in which profit and traffic dipped downward.
 

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Kohl's is partnering with designer Derek Lam for the second installment if its DesigNation limited-edition collection. As part of the Kohl’s DesigNation concept featuring premier designer fashions based on international inspiration, the Derek Lam collection will draw creative influence from his trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The collection features misses’ apparel and swimwear and will be available exclusively at Kohl’s and Kohls.com beginning in April 2013.

Rochester, Minn. — Electric Friends, which produces animal-themed speakers for iPhone and iPod, will be available in Toys“R”Us stores nationwide beginning Sept. 28, featured as an end cap throughout the holiday season.

Cincinnati -- Macy's is enhancing its presence in the Las Vegas market. The department store retailer has signed on as the first anchor tenant at the Shops at Summerlin, in west Las Vegas.  

Macy’s will build a two-level, 180,000-sq.-ft. store in the open- air center, which is being developed by The Howard Hughes Corp. The new Macy’s is expected to open in fall 2014, with construction beginning in fall 2013.

The 1.5 million sq.-ft. Summerlin will feature over 125 stores and restaurants.

Dallas -- Neiman Marcus has launched a contest to find the perfect blogger that embodies the sensibility of its Cusp brand.

Neiman Marcus launched the Cusp brand in 2006 with two freestanding stores that offered customers a contemporary assortment of apparel and accessories. The brand has grown over time to include a total of six Cusp stores, Cusp.com and integration into the 42 Neiman Marcus stores.

New York -- As women age, they find the shopping experience less enjoyable, according to a survey by global design consultancy Fitch. The study finds that the most fulfilled female shopper is between 16 and 24 years of age, suggesting that shops are designed for the young.

“There is a big opportunity for retailers to redress the balance and improve all our shopping experiences — which is better for business and better for shoppers,” said Tim Greenhalgh, chief creative officer office, Fitch.

Dallas -- Venture Commercial announced that True Food Kitchen will open a 5,915-sq.-ft restaurant at The Plaza at Preston Center, a five-story mixed-use development under construction in Dallas.

True Food, a Fox Restaurant Concepts brand, is slated to open in 2013 in a ground-floor space of a building that is devoted to retail tenants.

Wilmington, Del. -- Metro Commercial Real Estate announced that Books-A-Million has signed a lease for a 30,077-sq.-ft. former Borders located at 101 Geoffrey Drive in Christiana (Wilmington), Del.

The new Books-A-Million is expected to be open before year end.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl’s Department Stores has entered into a partnership with Derek Lam, who will be the second designer for the retailer’s DesigNation limited-edition collection. The retailer said the upcoming collection will draw creative influence from the designer’s recent trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

New York -- Wet Seal Inc. sent a letter to its shareholders saying activist investor Clinton Group is looking to replace most of the retailer's board with its own nominees, Reuters reported.

Wet Seal urged its shareholders to reject Clinton's five-member slate, according to a filing with regulators on Sept. 24, the report said.