Sales & Marketing

Children’s apparel retailer Gymboree Corp is exiting Chapter 11 bankruptcy as a going concern.   The children's apparel retailer won court approval to exit bankruptcy with a reorganization plan that includes a comprehensive recapitalization that will eliminate about $1 billion in debt. It expects to complete its financial restructuring process and emerge from Chapter 11 by the end of the month.  

A Japanese lifestyle brand with a devoted following has opened an outpost in one of New York City's most hip neighborhoods that will serve as a model for future expansion.    Muji has opened a 7,300-sq.-ft. store in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. It is the retailer’s seventh store in the greater New York City area. In addition to New York, Muji has six locations in California, one in New Jersey and one in Boston. It plans to add more U.S. stores next year.  

PREIT, which has long been pursuing a strategy of unloading underperforming malls from its portfolio, announced it has sold the Logan Valley Mall for $33.2 million net of credits issued to the buyer. The new owner’s identity was not released.   The Altoona, Pennsylvania, mall -- anchored by Macy's, J.C. Penney and Sears -- had been turning in sales-per-square-foot of $324 versus an average of $475 for the rest of the PREIT portfolio.  

Target Corp. is launching an array of private brands and the discounter is giving them a big kickoff.   The discounter will launch an aggressive marketing campaign for the new labels, AdAge reported, including everything from print and television spots to in-store events and visual merchandising.      

Postmates just made a strategic move in the online delivery war.    Knowing that delivery fees can exceed the cost of a food order, the on-demand app-based delivery provider has killed delivery fees for orders over $20. This decision entitles Postmates Unlimited subscribers to free delivery for orders placed with any of its 250,000-plus merchant partners.    Postmates members pay a $9.99 monthly subscription fee.  

The price wars among the nation's leading retailers has taken a new turn just ahead of the critical holiday selling season. On Friday, Target revealed in a blog post on its website that it had lowered prices on "thousands" of items, from cereal and paper towels to baby formula, razors, bath tissue and more. The discounter said the move would help end shoppers' uncertainty over the timing of discounts on certain products, and make for "more consistent savings."

A start-up that specializes in melted-sandwiches made from high-quality ingredients is looking to go nationwide.   Melt Shop hopes to grow to 100 locations during the next five years across the U.S. and internationally via franchising, The brand, founded in 2011 in New York, currently operates six corporate-owned locations in New York, one at Mall of America, Bloomington, Minn., and one in King of Prussia, Pa. It recently expanded into the Middle East and will open seven locations in the region, with four opening in Kuwait by March 2018.

Walmart’s self-service kiosks that cater to online order in-store pickups have hit Nevada.   The discount giant has added a 16-ft. “Pickup Tower” at its Las Vegas Walmart Supercenter. The tower is the first machine to be installed on the West Coast, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal.