Mass Merchant

New York - Anne Fontaine has opened a store at South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, Calif.  The 1,510 –sq.-ft. shop is based on the company’s New York flagship designed by architect Andree Putman.

The new store combines natural materials and textures that embody the essence of Fontaine’s love of modernity and nature.

"The concept behind the shop is simple; to experience a little bit of the French lifestyle," said designer Anne Fontaine

New York — Shoppers opened up their wallets in early November, providing retailers with some early holiday cheer. Spending on apparel, jewelry and luxury goods showed strong increases from the same time a year ago, according to MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse, which includes transactions in all forms including cash.

Bentonville, Ark. — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will match competitor prices beginning on Thanksgiving Day and running through the Black Friday weekend.

Customers can bring in competitors ads and Walmart will match the price of any identical price at the register. The offer does not apply to online purchases.

Wal-Mart is also offering 150 online-only specials on Thanksgiving Day as well as "Black Friday" specials on electronics, home and apparel items in stores throughout the rest of the weekend.

New York City -- Microsoft on Thursday opened a store in Bellevue, Wash., close to its headquarters in Redmond.

It is the company’s seventh store to date, but more expected, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company expects a “pretty aggressive roll-out schedule” of new stores next year, the report said.

New York City -- The NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan will close in late February, due to rising rent. The company said it is looking for a new location in the city.

San Francisco -- Gap said its third-quarter net income fell 1% to  $303 million for the period that ended Oct. 30. That compares with $307 million a year earlier.

Revenue rose 2% to $3.65 billion, boosted by increases in online and international sales. Same-store sales were flat.

Philadelphia -- Destination Maternity said its fourth-quarter net income tripled as cost-cutting measures paid off, even as sales in some categories fell.

The company earned almost $4.3 million for the quarter that ended Sept. 30, up from $1.4 million during the same period last year. Revenue rose slightly to $124.3 million, from $123.8 million a year earlier. Same-store sales fell 2.3%.