Retail

Helping customers achieve a perfect fit the first time around is the holy grail for many online retailers, and there’s little mystery why: A less-than-ideal fit is the No. 1 reason online purchases are returned. It’s difficult for a consumer to visualize how an item on a digital screen will look on their body. It’s especially challenging for women’s apparel because no two brands size their products the exact same way.

Dublin, Calif. - Ross Dress for Less will open a new store in Southern California, on Oct. 11. The store is located in the La Mesa Center in the city of La Mesa, a suburb of San Diego.  

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

H&M’s new Fifth Avenue flagship in Manhattan is the fast-fashion giant’s largest store in the world, a whopping 57,000 sq. ft. — the size of a football field.

The interior is bright and buzzing with energy. Just inside the entry, mannequins are arranged on a tiered staircase display, echoing a fashion-show runway.

Beyond its sheer size, the store is a standout for a number of reasons.

It may only be October, but here’s a prediction: It’s going to be a high-tech holiday, and I’m not talking about the gift-giving part of it. (Although in a refrain I think will play out in countless homes over the next couple of months, my 20-year-old godson has told his family the ONLY thing he wants for Christmas is a new Apple phone.)

But the big story this year is likely to be retailers’ increased use of emerging technologies that bring the digital and brick-and-mortar worlds together.

Mixed-use projects have become a consumer home base

The concept of a shopping center as a place where people simply show up to make a few purchases and leave is becoming passé. Increasingly, developers are building mixed-use centers that include residential, office and entertainment components, which turn them more into a consumer home base and less of a functional destination.

With the retail CFO’s role evolving so quickly in the last few years, what changes will the future bring? Look for CFOs to be hired from outside the company, oversee more divisions and spend significant time overseas in an increasingly global retail world.

The finance function, of course, will continue to be critical, especially for public companies.

Also the CFO role may encroach further on operations, particularly in an era of consolidation — store closures necessitated by mergers likely will fall under the domain of the CFO.

Despite posting increases in consolidated net and comparable store sales, the Finish Line’s second-quarter results fell short of its expectations, thanks to softness in the specialty retailer’s basketball offering.

Despite the slowdown in basketball-related sales, the running-related sales increased in the mid-single digits, driven by casual and performance styles. Consolidated net sales were $466.9 million, an increase of 7.1% over the prior year period. Comparable store sales increased 1.5%.

Washington, D.C. -- President Barack Obama announced his intention to appoint Matthew Rubel to an additional term as a member of the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, a key Administration advisory post.   

Rubel is currently a senior advisor at TPG Capital.  Previously, he was chairman, president and CEO of Collective Brands, from 2005 to 2011. Rubel was CEO of Cole Haan from 1999 to 2005.