News

CANADIAN OUTERWEAR BRAND SPREADS ITS WINGS
A company named after the first reptile to develop the feather for flight — archaeopteryx lithographica — is moving to expand its fledgling store portfolio.

Founded in 1991, Vancouver, British Columbia-based Arc’teryx is a manufacturer of high-performance outdoor apparel and equipment. Although the brand’s roots lie in the climbing landscape, it has long since expanded to include skiing, backpacking and other outdoor activities.
West Elm in two new store openings
West Elm doesn’t believe in cookie-cutter stores. The home furnishings retailer will open its location in the state of Rhode Island, in Providence’s Wayland Square neighborhood on Sept. 1. The 11,473-sq.-ft. store will incorporate unique design elements that pay homage to Rhode Island’s history and coastal proximity.

Lessons // Learned

Here are some insights from IBM* regarding last year’s holiday season that retailers would do well to keep in mind as they finalize plans for holiday 2016:

1/ Make mobile a key part of your integrated customer engagement strategy. Mobile traffic and sales continue to rise year after year. Create a mobile-friendly customer journey and content for the mobile experience, using tools to enrich the channel.

2/ Optimize your website for all screens.
Construction begins on long-awaited center in Fresno

The cranes have arrived at the 92-acre lot along Clovis Avenue in Fresno, California, to erect the parking garage at what will be Fancher Creek Town Center, and the locals couldn’t be happier. “I think it’s super. We need something. You have to catch the freeway and go up north to get to anything,” resident Diana Williams told KFSN news in Fresno this week.
Combatant Gentlemen

Online brand enters brick-and-mortar space with style

Online menswear retailer Combatant Gentlemen has made the leap to brick-and-mortar with a sleek, streamlined space that speaks to its millennial audience.

It opened its first permanent retail store in July, at Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica, Calif., having previously opened pop-up shops in New York City and Los Angeles, and a showroom at its headquarters in Irvine, Calif. At 2,220 sq.
Staples targets back-to-school needs with new app feature

Staples wants to make back-to-school shopping virtually effortless. The retailer announced a new beta test available on its mobile iOS app. Customers can now send a photo of their child’s back-to-school list via the Staples Easy System on the app and a Staples associate will populate the customer’s shopping cart with everything they need.
Shop Talk

TRENDING STORES: Hello Kitty‘s pop-up café, at Irvine Spectrum Center in Irvine, Calif., has been drawing crowds since it opened in July. It’s housed in a shipping container that’s been painted pink and refurbished with a counter and dining patio area, complete with bistro tables and pink-and-white striped awnings. Character graphics adorn the exterior and interior container panels. The café will remain open for a year.
Ulta beats Street — again; Q2 sales jump 30%

Ulta Beauty on Thursday posted another spectacular quarter amid surging sales. It was the ninth consecutive quarter that the beauty retailer topped expectations. Ulta reported net income for the quarter, ended July 30, rose 21.3% to $90.0 million compared to $74.2 million in the year ago period. Net sales increased 21.9% to $1.07 billion from $877.0 million in the year-ago quarter.
ON THE LEVEL

My face and name may be unfamiliar to you, but hopefully that will soon change. I have covered retail for decades, never retail real estate. But, I am happy to have landed in this spot. For, just as retailers need new traffic to thrive and grow, so do writers need new material, and this beat is rife with material.

Here’s what excites me about this space. It’s something I trust also excites — and perhaps scares — you retailers and developers out there. You are America’s new town planners.
Dollar General Q2 sales fall short

Dollar General Corp. reported lower-than-expected revenue for the second quarter amid increasing competition and reduced food stamp coverage. The company’s net income was $306.52 million, or $1.08 per share, in the quarter, compared to net income of $282.35 million, or $0.95 per share, in the year-ago period. Net sales increased 5.8% to $5.39 billion, compared to $5.10 billion last year.