eCommerce

Madison, Miss. -- Chattanooga, Tenn.-based CBL & Associates Properties has announced the start of construction on Phase II of The Forum at Grandview, a community center in Madison, Miss.

The 83,000-sq.-ft. second phase will include anchors Ulta, Homegoods, Petco and a national arts and crafts retailer, along with 14,000 sq. ft. of specialty stores. The opening of phase II is scheduled for summer 2012.

Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Dallas-based Cypress Equities said that local fashion boutique Soca Clothing will open a new store at Midtown Village, located in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

The new 1,400-sq.-ft. store is slated to open in September.

Midtown Village is a 350,000-sq.-ft. mixed-use community in the heart of Tuscaloosa featuring retail and restaurant space, as well as office suites.
 

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group said that Tommy Bahama will open a new store at Town Center at Boca Raton, located in Boca Raton, Fla.

The new 3,400-sq.-ft. store is slated to open Sept. 1. The grand opening is scheduled for Sept. 10.

New York City -- Japanese fast-fashion giant Uniqlo is set to open its largest global flagship to date, an 89,000-sq.-ft. store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The store, which will also be the larger single retailer on Fifth Avenue, will open on Oct. 14.

One week later, Uniqlo will debut a second flagship in Manhattan, a 64,000-sq.-ft. store 34th St. It will be the chain’s second largest global flagship

New York City -- Barnes & Noble said Tuesday it narrowed its net loss in its fiscal first quarter as sales of its Nook e-book reader and e-books helped offset lower physical book sales. The chain, which recently received a $204 million investment from former suitor Liberty Media, said sales of Nooks, e-books and magazines and other digital content and accessories, rose 140% to $227 million during the quarter.

Dallas -- Zale Corp. is teaming up with celebrity Jessica Simpson on an exclusive collection of diamond fashion jewelry. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Jessica Simpson, known as a pop music artist, actress and reality TV personality, has become quite successful in the fashion world. Her Jessica Simpson Collection, which sells shoes, clothing, fragrances and other goods, is said to be worth about $1 billion.

Columbus, Ohio -- DSW said Tuesday that its second-quarter profit soared, boosted by a hefty one-time gain related to its acquisition of Retail Ventures.

The results beat Wall Street expectations and the company boosted its full-year outlook.

For the quarter ended July DSW posted net income of $139.9 million, compared with $26.9 million for the same quarter last year.

PARIS — Gap Inc. has announced plans to open its first Banana Republic store in France in Paris in early December. Synonymous with culture, quality, heritage and style, the store will be , one of the most popular international shopping destinations in the world.

The 15,952 sq. ft. Paris flagship store will be located on Avenue des Champs Élysées and will occupy more than two floors.

America is on sale for foreign tourists thanks to the weak U.S. dollar, and it has been a boon for retailers who operate stores in key destinations. Nowhere was this phenomenon more evident than last week when Tiffany & Co. reported spectacular second quarter results that were aided by a 41% sales increase at its flagship New York store. That location is frequented by tourists, and so is the Saks flagship New York location, which reported a second quarter comp increase in the neighborhood of 15%.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Frederick's of Hollywood Group has announced that the company and Linda LoRe have mutually agreed that, effective Sept. 2, LoRe will resign both as president and as a member of the board of directors of the company and its subsidiaries.  She will continue her employment through Jan. 20, 2012, and will assist in the orderly transition of her responsibilities to senior members of the company's current management team.