News Briefs

Ross Stores Inc. is getting a new chairman.

The off-price retailer said that Michael Balmuth will step down as executive  chairman of the board on January 31, 2026, at which time he will also retire from the board. Balmuth will continue to serve as a senior advisor to Ross through March 31, 2026. 

Ross operates 1,909 locations in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. It also operates 364 DD’s Discounts stores in 22 states 

Pop Mart has opened its first location in Canada – with more on the way.

The Asian toy and collectibles retailer has made its debut in the country with a store at Richmond Centre in Vancouver. The new store offers the full Pop Mart experience, featuring interactive displays, blind box collectible drops, and a wide selection of fan-favorite characters from the brand’s IP.

Pop Mart says that its second and third Canadian locations will open in Toronto and Vancouver in early 2026, with final timing, address, and design details to be announced soon. Additional openings are on the horizon as the brand continues to expand in Canada and beyond.

“Canada has always been a priority for Pop Mart. We’ve seen incredible demand across social media and our e-commerce platform,” said Luis Barrientos, executive VP of business development for Pop Mart Americas. “This launch is about meeting that demand with immersive, in-person experiences that celebrate creativity and community. We’re thrilled to now be on the ground in Vancouver with more stores coming soon”

[READ MORE: Pop Mart to open at Mall of America amid Labubu craze]

Based in Beijing, Pop Mart operates over 550 stores worldwide, as well as over 2,500 Robo Shops (blind box vending machines). The brand opened its first store in the U.S. in 2023, and now operates more than 60 brick-and-mortar locations in the Americas.

A digitally-native athleisure apparel brand has returned to physical retail for a limited time.

Halara, which launched in 2020 and has since gained a strong following on social media, has opened a pop-up location at Westfield UTC in San Diego. Open from Nov. 21 to Dec. 14, the “You Speak, We Listened” pop-up is billed as the brand’s most “transparent retail concept yet,” and is designed to show how customer feedback and community insights directly shape product design.

At the center of the space is The Halara Circle, the brand's ongoing co-creation initiative that invites customers to share detailed feedback and help shape future collections. Inside the pop-up, customers can see how input from real users drives iteration across key categories, including leggings, denim, and seasonal activewear.

[READ MORE: Athleisure brand Halara makes brick-and-mortar debut]

Highlights of Halara’s San Diego pop-up include the following:

• The Halara Circle Iteration Wall: A behind-the-scenes look at how leggings, denim, and bestsellers evolve after thousands of customer inputs;
• Denim “Washing Machine” installation: A durability test brought to life — Halara Flex Denim washed five, 10, 15, and 20 times to show how fabric R&D works;
• Legging evolution display: Four generations of one style side-by-side, illustrating pattern changes sparked by social comments and reviews;
• Live co-creation: Visitors can submit feedback on-site, try products on, and join The Halara Circle for a chance to receive test products; and
• Events + community: Wellness classes, meetups, and workshops designed to foster an offline community around the Halara brand.

Located near the University of California San Diego, Westfield UTC boasts approximately 170 retail stores and 75 food & beverage tenants.

CBRE has announced that it has hired Darrell Palasciano, a veteran retail leasing and development advisor with more than two decades of experience, as a senior VP of its Retail Services group. 

He will lead CBRE’s retail team in Charlotte, collaborating with owners, retailers, and other stakeholders to develop tailored strategies that support clients throughout the retail landscape.  

“Darrel’s deep understanding of retail dynamics and strong relationships across the industry will enable us to deliver unmatched value and expand our leadership in this sector,” said Brett Gray, the senior managing director of CBRE’s Charlotte office.  

Palasciano began his career as director of sales and leasing at a Charlotte development firm before spending more than a decade with TSCG. 

Most recently, he advised developers, owners, and leading retailers at The Providence Group, focusing on new construction, redevelopment, urban infill, out-parcel development, and tenant disposition. 

He has also led portfolio dispositions for several national and regional retail and restaurant chains.  

 Charlotte is a dynamic retail market, and the Carolinas offer tremendous opportunities,” said Palasciano. “I look forward to collaborating with a wide range of clients to strengthen the region’s retail landscape.”  

Palasciano earned a finance degree from UNC Charlotte and has held several leadership positions with ICSC, most recently serving as the state chair for North and South Carolina.

The nation’s largest men’s big and tall specialty retailer is letting shoppers create high-tech personalized fit profiles — on its app and in select stores.

Destination XL Group Inc. (DXL) is launching an in-house-developed scanning solution called FitMap on its mobile app, as well as in more than 80 stores nationwide. The tool is available on an iPhone or iPad via the DXL app and measures 243 data points to create a precise, personalized fit profile.

After a scan, big and tall men will have access to their correct size across DXL's exclusive brands, as well as other brands including Polo Ralph Lauren, Psycho Bunny, Brooks Brothers, and Reebok.

"For years, inconsistent sizing has made shopping difficult, particularly for big and tall men who often struggle to find their size at all," said Harvey Kanter, president and CEO of DXL. "With the FitMap scanning technology now on the app, guys can scan at home and eliminate any further frustration and finally find the right sizes. In fact, every customer who gets scanned will have an easier fit experience, whether they're shopping in-store or online."

In other personalization efforts, DXL has been building on an existing partnership with Bluecore to combine disparate marketing capabilities including identification, customer data management, audience building and segmentation, campaign management and media integration.

DXL is seamlessly connecting shoppers’ online and offline experiences in an effort to increase shopper and customer identification, drive first-time and repeat conversion and reactivate lapsed buyers.

[READ MORE: Destination XL Group extends assortment with Untuckit]

Headquartered in Canton, Mass., DXL operates nearly 300 DXL Big + Tall retail and outlet stores and Casual Male XL retail and outlet stores across the U.S., as well as its e-commerce website and mobile app.