Mass Merchant

In an abrupt move, Shoes.com pulled the plug on its operations on Friday, Jan. 27.   The company, which said in September it was preparing for its next phase of growth, took its three e-commerce businesses, Shoes.com, ShoeMe.ca and OnlineShoes.com, offline, and closed the doors to two brick-and-mortar locations in Vancouver and Toronto.  

A retail veteran is leaving Brooks Brothers to join Destination XL Group.   The men’s specialty apparel retailer has named Sahal Laher as its senior VP, chief digital and information officer, effective Monday, Jan. 30.   Laher, Brooks Brothers’ former executive VP of digital innovation and technology and global CIO, will be the principal architect and leader of DXL’s digital commerce strategies and IT/MIS operations. Laher will also be a member of the company’s executive committee.

Groundbreaking on a 500,000-sq.-ft. shopping center in Southern California has been postponed due to changes in the developer’s plan ‘and a need for improvements to the surrounding roadway.   The 50-acre site in Murrieta, a town of 103,000 people located halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, was purchased by a limited partnership last year for $18 million. The owners are working with Caltrans for improvements needed on nearby Winchester Road.  

Macy’s is exiting the chocolate business.   The department store retailer is selling its Frango chocolate brand to Garrett Brands, owner of Garrett Popcorn Shops, for an undisclosed amount.     Macy’s had inherited Frango, whose roots date back to 1918, from Marshall Field & Co., which was acquired by Macy’s in 2005.  

A veteran retail merchandiser is leaving Hudson’s Bay to join Stein Mart.   The off-price announced that MaryAnne Morin will join Stein Mart as president, effective Feb. 6, with responsibility for merchandising and marketing.      

Finish Line is cutting its losses related to its specialty running gear unit.   The sportswear retailer has sold its JackRabbit specialty running store division to CriticalPoint Capital LLC, a Los Angeles-based private investment firm.   

It looks like it’s curtain time for The Wet Seal.   The struggling teen retailer is closing its 171 stores, along with its headquarters in Irvine, Calif., after being unable to obtain the necessary cash infusion or find a buyer, according to several media reports.        

There is no denying it: Ulta Salon Cosmetics & Fragrance is on a roll.   The retailer will open 100 stores this year, including its first-ever location in Manhattan.   Shares of Ulta rose 38% last year, about four times higher than the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index’s gain, Bloomberg reported, and its annual revenue has quadrupled to $3.9 billion since it went public 10 years ago.