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In addition to the requisite comment about expecting the holidays to be highly promotional, Famous Footwear also expects the momentum it saw during back-to-school season to carry over to the fourth quarter.

Famous Footwear’s third quarter same store sales increased 4.4% and total sales increased 4.8% to $456 million, excluding the performance of the divested Shoes.com business, to represent 63% of parent company Caleres total sales of $728.6 million. Caleres is the company formerly known as Brown Shoe Company that changed its name earlier this year.

The CEO of Guess?

Guest appearances by Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson at Books-A-Million stores gave the retailer a modest sales lift in the third quarter.

The company said its sales increased 0.4% to $101.6 million and same store sales increased 1.6%, thanks in part to appearances by Republication presidential contender Dr. Ben Carson. However, signs of life on the top line did not translate to bottom line improvement as Books-A-Million reported a loss of $7.1 million, or 50 cents a share, that was in line with a loss from the prior year.

The holidays are becoming an increasingly social event, as evidenced by the promotional campaigns of two major department store chains this season.

According to Adweek, both Target and Macy’s are heavily leveraging a variety of social media platforms to engage consumers for the 2015 holiday season. Target has increased the percentage of its overall paid media spend represented by social to 12%, up 30% from about 9% in 2014.

A department store and a beauty specialty retailer have the best momentum in social media going into the holiday season. Meanwhile, an online giant is losing steam.

Retailers looking to maximize online revenues should utilize one specific digital promotional solution to create a sense of pleasure.

More Stride Rite shoe stores are closing as parent company Wolverine World Wide increases its focus on direct sales and improving the performance of lifestyle brands.

Baker Katz announced that the 90,000 sq. ft. multi-tenant center redevelopment project in Port Arthur, Texas is complete with the opening of PetSmart.

The former Sutherlands Hardware was transformed into a multi-tenant retail center with the addition of national anchor tenants, including Hobby Lobby, PetSmart and Party City. Chipotle, Firehouse Subs and Gulfside Dental, are scheduled to open by early 2016, will occupy a 7,000 sq. ft. building in the foreground of the project.

Muji, the minimalist Japanese lifestyle brand, has opened its largest U.S. location yet, a two-level, 12,000-sq.-ft.

Chico's FAS blamed the holiday calendar and a volatile stock market for its disappointing financial results in the third quarter.