Store Systems

Dallas – Neiman Marcus is launching the NM app for iPhone. Key features include shopping and the ability to text, email, call or FaceTime any sales associate directly from the app.

Other features include checking on loyalty points and cards, viewing upcoming events such as designer appearances and promos, and the ability to follow the Neiman Marcus blog, read catalogs and watch videos. The app allows a customer to search by department to locate or contact sales associates at any Neiman Marcus store.  

San Francisco -- Gap Inc. is bringing its Old Navy brand to China, with the opening of a store on March 1 on Shanghai’s famous Nanjing West Road.

The 22,000 –sq.-ft., three-level Shanghai Old Navy store is located in the Jing’an District, a major commercial area known for shopping, sightseeing, hotels and office buildings that draws thousands of locals and overseas visitors. The store features iconic elements from Old Navy’s U.S. flagship and such interactive features as touch-screen video games and game tables.

Minneapolis – Best Buy’s “Renew Blue” cost reduction program appears to be succeeding, as the retailer reported profit instead of loss during the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2013. The improvements came even as revenues in both periods declined compared to the same periods a year earlier.

During the fourth quarter, Best Buy reported net earnings of $311 million, a substantial improvement from its $460 million net loss a year earlier and above Wall Street projections.

Best Buy saw revenues slip in the fourth quarter and fiscal 2013, thanks in part to declining retail traffic fueled by a shorter holiday shopping season and severe winter weather. But all was not bad news for the retailer, which was able to profit from its Renew Blue cost reduction program.

During the fourth quarter, Best Buy reported net earnings of $311 million, a notable improvement from its $460 million net loss a year earlier. For the fiscal year, Best Buy reported net earnings of $523 million, compared to a net loss of $233 million the prior fiscal year.

By Carrie Smith, [email protected]

It is undeniable that fast-casual restaurant chains in North Florida and South Georgia are resuming their expansion plans. The local unemployment rate ended 2013 under 6%, home building permits jumped nearly 30%, and car sales climbed — all signs of an improving local economy.

Kohl’s reported a profit of $334 million, or $1.56 per share, for the fourth quarter ended Feb. 1, down from $378 million, or $1.66 a share, a year earlier. The retailer attributed the dip to an increase in e-commerce shipping costs and holiday season markdowns.

But the retailer expressed confidence in its inventory levels and assortment, adding that it is well-positioned for spring and anticipates sales increases.

Walnut Creek, Calif. – Retailers are taking an increasingly omni-channel approach to their mobile strategies, looking to combine mobile with existing channels rather than treat it as a separate entity. According to a new study from RSR Research, “Mobile in Retail: Reality Sets In,” 49% of retail respondents said the purpose of their mobile strategy is to drive traffic to the store in 2014, compared to 33% in 2013.

New York -- Sears Holdings’ CEO Eddie Lampert strongly defended his company in his annual letter to shareholders, saying not only does he believe Sears is headed in the right direction, but that “the entire retail industry is headed to where we already are.”