Sales & Marketing

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Westfield announced that David Yurman and Miu Miu will open first-to-market stores at its Westfield Valley Fair property in Santa Clara, Calif. A new Prada boutique will open as well, joining other luxury retailers such as Burberry, Tag Heuer, Wolford, Mont Blanc, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Cartier.  

BOSTON, Mass. — Former president and CEO of Vibram USA Tony Post has launched Topo Athletic, a new company and brand of athletic gear created by and for athletes that conforms to the human body.

Based in Newton, Mass., Post has launched the new company with $5 million in series A funding from Norwest Venture Partners, a multi-stage investment firm based in Silicon Valley.

In 2006, Post launched the Vibram FiveFingers brand in the United States, which catapulted Vibram USA and minimalist footwear into the limelight.

Chicago -- Claire's Stores announced Wednesday the recent opening of company-owned-and-operated Claire's stores in Italy and Luxembourg, bringing the retailer’s European presence to 15 countries.

According to Claire’s European president Beatrice LaFon, the first Italian store was opened in the Milan Fiordaliso shopping centre, and the first Luxembourg store was opened in Esch Sur Alzette on Rue de l'Alzette.

During December, the company said it also plans to enter Indonesia on a franchise basis.

NEW YORK — All-natural, cane turbinado sugar brand Sugar In The Raw has received the 2012 Bon Appétit Seal of Approval in the category of Finishing Sugar.

The new award from Bon Appétit is a first in its 56-year history. Bon Appétit’s list of must-have ingredients, including Sugar In The Raw, was selected by the editors to celebrate their favorite products. The list appears in their December 2012 issue.

New York -- In a Tuesday night address at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. president and CEO Mike Duke didn’t shy away from discussing the fiscal cliff, saying that the current debate is having a negative impact on consumer spending.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Wednesday by Shop.org, a division of the National Retail Federation, found that retailers are in tune with the last-minute shipping intentions of the average consumer.

According to Shop.org’s 2012 eHoliday Study conducted by BIGinsight, 45.7% of retailers will end standard shipping promotions by Monday, Dec. 17, in direct response to the average consumer’s tendency to wait until the last minute to finish holiday shopping.

London -- An increasing number of U.K. consumers are spending more time at the nation’s shopping centers, according to a newly launched weekly statistic released Wednesday by the International Council of Shopping Centers and Path Intelligence.

Riverside, Calif. -- Chicago-based General Growth Properties announced it has named Jim Fuson as the new general manager for Galleria at Tyler, located in Riverside, Calif.

Effective September 2012, Fuson as general manager is responsible for the overall shopping center with primary focus on development, leasing, and increasing the value of the asset.  In addition, he will be overseeing the administration, operations, marketing, business development, capital improvements and the strategic plan developed for the center.