Mass Merchant

Mike Duke presented at the Barclay’s conference Tuesday, and, as we predicted in last week’s WNN, he did not speak about first-quarter sales, which the company will report on May 17. Instead Duke focused on such broad goals as growth, leverage, but offered little detail on how the company plans to achieve them.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl’s Corp. has added another exclusive label to its lineup with Rock & Republic Apparel. The company signed a long-term licensing agreement with R&R Apparel Co. LLC and its parent company, VF Corp.

Rock & Republic will launch in men’s and women’s apparel and footwear in spring 2012. It may expand into children’s accessories and home goods over time. Nearly half of Kohl’s sales in 2010 came from exclusive brands.

Regional supermarket chains that offer grocery delivery services may soon have some competition from Walmart if its program is expanded nationwide. According to several reports including one in The Wall Street Journal and another in The New York Times, Walmart is testing its Walmart To Go service in San Jose, Calif. 

By Jim McNeill and Gary K. Brucker Jr., [email protected], [email protected]

Mother’s Day may be considered a “Hallmark Holiday,” but that won’t stop consumers from showering mom with gifts on May 8. According to NRF’s 2011 Mother’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions survey, conducted by BIGresearch, the average person celebrating the holiday is expected to spend $140.73 on gifts, up from $126.90 last year, and a return to 2008 spending levels. Total spending is expected to reach $16.3 billion.

Brooklyn, N.Y. -- One of the largest commercial solar rooftop installations in the five boroughs has gone live. Ikea announced that the solar energy system on its store in Brooklyn, N.Y., now is commissioned, operational and certified by Con Edison and New York City. The 200 kW array occupies 19,000 sq. ft., with four different module types totaling 1,104 panels.

New York City -- Jones Group's net income fell 34% in the first quarter, weighed down by higher costs and charges tied to an acquisition.

Jones Group earned $25.9 million, compared with $39.4 million a year ago.

Jones Group said its quarterly results included about $11 million in costs and charges tied to its Stuart Weitzman acquisition and other restructuring and strategic review costs. Last year's quarter included costs and charges totaling approximately $3 million.

Austin, Texas -- T. Stacy & Associates, who has been involved with some of Austin’s most iconic buildings, announced that it will reconfigure street-level space in its headquarters building at 823 Congress Avenue to a size and quality sufficient to attract a major retailer and that it has begun an aggressive search to find the “perfect tenant.”