Skip to main content

Mass Merchant

  • Macy’s sells chocolate brand

    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.  

  • NRF’s Big Show: A hopeful shift in focus from Amazon to the customer

    Every year, 30,000 retail industry professionals descend on Manhattan for the National Retail Federation’s “Big Show.    It’s a once-a-year opportunity to take the pulse of one of our most familiar industries. Amazon conspicuously abstains from the event, but it is nonetheless the focus of many conversations, distracting some retailers from the real opportunity: innovations in customer experience. Thankfully, this year a healthy shift seems to have begun.  

  • Shoes.com shuts down operations

    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.  

  • Finish Line sheds specialty running stores division

    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.   

  • Another teen apparel retailer to close all stores

    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.        

  • Ulta Beauty is one hot retail property

    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.  

  • Chief merchant of Hudson’s Bay and Lord & Taylor leaves for exec role at Stein Mart

    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.      

  • These retail brands are tops in brand engagement

    Soaring customer expectations are creating an increasingly challenging environment for brands seeking engagement.   That’s according to the 22nd annual Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, which recognizes the brands that receive the highest loyalty and engagement assessments and surpass competitors for "delighting" customers.  
X
This ad will auto-close in 10 seconds