Mass Merchant

Fort Worth, Texas -- Trademark Property Co., the Fort Worth-based retail and mixed-use development, investment, and third-party services firm, announced that Kara Rafferty has joined the firm as director of leasing. An 18-year industry veteran, Rafferty will focus on Trademark’s leasing efforts throughout Texas.

New York - Imports to the U.S. were up in August from July, and there was a measurable year-over-year increase. According to a new report from supply chain research firm Panjiva, imports in August 2014 were 4% higher than imports the same month the prior year.

Was he or wasn’t he? Unfortunately for Walmart, a legitimate question about whether comedian Tracy Morgan and his entourage were wearing seatbelts the night their limousine was rear-ended by a Walmart truck has made a bad situation worse for the retailer.

Dublin, Calif. - Ross Dress for Less will open two new stores in North Florida on Oct. 11. The stores are located in the Lakeland Park Center in Lakeland and Forest Lakes Plaza in Oldsmar.  

These new openings are part of the retailer’s 2014 expansion program, totaling approximately 75 new locations during the year.

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less will open a new store in Colorado on Oct. 11. The store is located in Prairie Center in the community of Brighton, eight miles northwest of Denver.

This new opening is part of the retailer’s 2014 expansion program, totaling approximately 75 new locations during the year.

New York -- Swedish fast-fashion chain H&M was named “International Retailer of the Year” at the 8th annual World Retail Awards dinner in Paris. The awards were presented during the World Retail Congress, which is being held this week in Paris.

Fast Retailing, the Japanese parent company of Uniqlo and other brands, was named “Retailer of the Year.”

Fort Worth, Texas -- Trademark Property Co., a retail and mixed-use investor, developer and operator, has welcomed three national big box stores to Alliance Town Center. DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse), Men’s Wearhouse and Sleep Experts have all opened at the 1 million-sq.-ft. outdoor shopping center in Fort Worth, Texas.

DSW is leasing 15,000-sq.-ft. at the shopping center. The new Men’s Wearhouse location totals 5,500-sq.-ft. and the new Sleep Experts store measures 4,500-sq.-ft.

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- Shoppers are planning to spend less money and purchase gifts for fewer people this holiday season compared to last year, while also maximizing their budgets through Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales and online cost comparison, according to the CFI Group 2014 Holiday Retail Spending Report: Black Friday is Back.