Sales & Marketing

New York -- An upscale men’s footwear brand has opened its first flagship, on Madison Avenue in Manhattan.

Ibex Construction, New York-based firm specializing in high-end retail and corporate construction, has completed the first flagship boutique for Italian luxury brand Louis Leeman. The new retail space is modeled to resemble a classic Parisian home with a modern update featuring an antique marble fireplace, contemporary couches with lavish velvet cushions and custom interior designs that create an ambiance of sophisticated elegance.

Boca Raton, Fla. – Office Depot is accelerating its previously announced plan to close at least 400 stores as the retailer awaits its acquisition by Staples.

After shuttering a greater than expected 99 stores in the second quarter, Office Depot boosted its 2015 store closing target to 175 locations, with another 60 due to close in 2016. The closings are on top of 153 closings throughout 2014, including 108 stores in the fourth quarter of last year.

Shopko Stores is looking more closely at how it uses store space and how customers fill their baskets.

The retailer has renewed its license of APT’s Test & Learn and Market Basket Analyzer software and APT’s Space Planning Optimizer software. 

Chicago -- Some shopping centers are getting dog friendly.

In response to consumer demand for dog-friendly retail centers, nearly 30 JLL-managed properties are now encouraging shoppers to bring their canine companions to the mall for themed events from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. each Wednesday in August.

The newly launched Dog Days program will test the markets’ receptiveness to a dog-friendly shopping experience with four themed nights at participating centers:

Toys"R"Us is headed to a galaxy far, far away with its next promotion.

Concord, Calif. -- It’s changing of the guard time at the 157-store BevMo!.

BevMo! announced that Dimitri Haloulos has been appointed CEO, effective Sept. 1. Haloulos, who joined Albertsons Safeway in 2011 and most recently served as senior VP of Own Brands, has spent his career in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail space as an executive in sales, marketing and research across a number of global brands

Consumers don’t see “channels.” They are time-starved and information-rich, and use technology that they carry around in their pockets and purses to find the best solutions to their lifestyle needs.

The practice in retail of creating different brand experiences in different channels has gone beyond being an inconvenience to shoppers. It is the central challenge that retailers are grappling with today.

The pace of store closings at Office Depot is accelerating and employee retention costs are rising as the retailer maintains that its merger with Staples will close by year end.