Sales & Marketing

Yonkers, N.Y. – American consumers are reporting significantly fewer financial troubles than any time in the past three years, according to the Consumer Reports Index. The Index’s trouble tracker index, which measures the proportion of consumers that have faced difficulties as well as the number of negative financial events they have encountered, dropped from 41.7 in April to 34 in May. This is the lowest trouble tracker score since Consumer Reports began reporting it in April 2009 and more than 50% below its all-time high score of 68.7 in September 2009.

H&M is collaborating with Parisian designer Isabel Marant on a fall line, inspired by her signature style, featuring clothing and accessories for teenagers, women and for the first time, men.

The retailer will roll out the collection Nov. 14 in approximately 250 of its stores worldwide.

Bradenton, Fla. -- Beall’s Inc. has replaced legacy point-of-sale software and hardware at 450 Beall’s Outlet and Burke’s Outlet stores with the latest version of  SAP’s POS application (POS 2.3 system).

Retailers looking for insight into popular new products in the candy and snacks world can thank organizers of the Sweets & Snacks Expo for doing some heavy lifting.
 
A panel of experts at the 17th annual event sifted through hundreds of samples prior to the sold out trade show in Chicago and found eight worthy of the distinction of “Most Innovative New Product.”

Tampa, Fla. -- RMC Property Group and The Ross Realty Group have merged. Effective June 3, Ross Realty’s investment sales and office leasing team has become RMC Ross Realty, and the Ross Realty property management team has become RMC Property Group.

The merged company oversees the management, leasing and sales of more than 8.4 million sq. ft. of commercial property and more than 900 tenants.

SALT LAKE CITY — Overstock.com announced it would resume using Missouri advertisers after Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of the recently enacted affiliate nexus bill. The bill sought to recruit remote sellers into state sales tax collection if they continued to use Missouri Internet advertisers.

Washington, D.C. -- Madison Marquette Retail Services has announced the launch of its redesigned Center Social, a website that offers research, best practices and other resources related to using social media to market shopping centers.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Kathy Ireland has been named chief designer for Royal Footwear & Accessories, and is launching her own line of footwear with the company in spring 2015.

Key elements in the collection will include soft footbeds and flex insoles with lightweight outsoles that will incorporate traction technology throughout the footwear brand.