Store Systems

Uniqlo’s, the expansion-minded Japanese apparel retailer, has opened open its largest store in the world, an 89,000-sq.-ft., three-level flagship on Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Designed by the cutting-edge Japanese firm Wonderwall, the new Uniqlo is sleek and futuristic. It is massive in scale, with 100 fitting rooms, 45 checkouts, 100 LCD and LED screens, four glass elevators and an escalator that takes customers from the entry directly to the third level, which is the main selling floor.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Books-A-Million has announced that it will open 41 new BAM! stores in markets across the U.S. in early November. The company has also closed 21 underperforming locations during its third quarter. 

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. confirmed Tuesday that its website crashed for the second time in six weeks, going down at approximately 12:50 p.m. EDT and then coming back up two hours later, at 2:50 p.m. EDT.

Target.com also crashed on Sept. 13, after the retailer’s online introduction of its new line of Missoni apparel and items.

Target has not yet said what caused Tuesday’s crash.
 

By Steven Kramer, [email protected]

Beijing -- The Xinhua News Agency in Beijing, China, said that Wal-Mart Stores has reopened 13 stores in Chongqing after being forced by authorities to close the stores for 15 days over the mislabeling of regular pork as organic.

Chongqing authorities had also arrested two employees and fined the company $421,000 on charges of passing off regular pork as higher-priced organic meat earlier in October.

Austin, Texas -- Retail credit solution-provider NewComLink said Tuesday that Zale Corp. has implemented the NewComLink platform as part of its new program to provide alternative financing options to its U.S. customers.

Zale announced the new alternative financing program on Aug. 31, which is currently available in all Zales, Zales Outlet and Gordon’s retail stores.

QUINCY, Mass. — Stop & Shop announced that it has expanded the availability of its SCAN IT! Mobile shopping app. 

First introduced last June for iPhone 3GS and 4G in three stores, SCAN IT! Mobile is now also available for many Android devices which will double the reach of customers, the company said. In addition, the pilot will expand to an additional 42 Stop & Shop stores in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

Quincy, Mass. -- The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. said Tuesday it has expanded the availability of Scan It! Mobile – a grocery app that allows customers to use their personal mobile device to scan, tally and bag their groceries while they shop.

First introduced last June for iPhone 3GS and 4G in three stores, Scan It! Mobile is now also available for many Android devices which will double the reach of customers. In addition, the pilot will expand to an additional 42 Stop & Shop stores in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.