News

The Iowa-based Von Maur department store chain will be installing a 90,000-sq.-ft. location at PREIT’s Woodland Mall in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in a space to be vacated by Sears. A 2019 opening is planned.   A 145-year-old, family-owned chain of 31 stores in 14 states, Von Maur’s offerings aspired to the high end with brands like Eileen Fisher, Coach, and Tommy Bahama.  

Amid efforts to crack down on the sale of counterfeit goods, Alibaba is in a center of another related fight.   The Chinese e-commerce giant said Thursday, Feb. 9, that several intellectual property (IP) agencies were filing false complaints against vendors that continue to sell fake goods on its e-commerce platforms, said Fortune.   

Charlotte Tilbury is taking lipstick sampling to a new level.   The beauty brand is partnering with YouCam Makeup to deliver an interactive platform that allows users to virtually try on the brand’s 12 iconic lipstick shades — anywhere, anytime — right through their mobile device or tablet.   

Whole Foods Market on Wednesday reported a disappointing first quarter and also lowered full-year sales and earnings guidance.    Net income was $95 million for the quarter ended Jan. 15. The company earned an adjusted 39 cents a share during the quarter, in line with estimates.   Total sales in the quarter increased 1.9% to $4.9 billion, less than the Street expected.    

Buying merchandise on Pinterest just got even easier.   On Wednesday, Feb. 8, the social media site rolled out a new service called “Shop the Look.” An extension of the company’s Buyable Pins program which enables “pinners” to buy a specific item directly on Pinterest, Shop the Look users can “click on and even buy products they find inside fashion and home decor Pins,” Tim Kendall, Pinterest’s president, explained in the company’s business blog.  

Dollar General isn’t boasting when it calls itself one of America’s fastest-growing retailers.    The extreme-value discounter will open 1,000 stores and two distribution centers in 2017, resulting    In the creation of approximately 10,000 new jobs. The announcement comes as Dollar General is testing a new, smaller-store format under a new banner.   

Cosabella has found a way to future-proof its business, and simultaneously drive sales.   The luxury lingerie brand had no trouble attracting shoppers. But to ensure longevity, brands must convert contacts into loyal customers if they want to grow their market share. Cosabella took a proactive step in this process by adopting an artificial intelligence (AI) platform from Emarsys, to revolutionize the role of its marketers.  

Women’s plus-size retailer Torrid will open locations in five Cafaro Malls: Eastwood Mall (Niles, Ohio); Governor’s Square Mall (Clarksville, Tennessee); Huntington Mall (Barboursville, West Virginia), Millcreek Mall (Erie, Pennsylvania); and Spotsylvania Towne Centre (Fredericksburg, Virginia).     The 3,500-sq.-ft. stores are all expected to be up and running by June. Torrid, founded in 2001, operates more than 400 locations across 36 states.  

Swire Properties has announced the addition of Zara and MAC Cosmetics to its 500,000-sq.-ft., open-air collection of luxury retailers and gourmet food option in Miami’s Brickell City Centre. Both stores look toward a fall opening.  

Discount grocer Aldi is not about to let any new competitors — home-grown or fellow German imports — get the best of it.    The retailer has announced an aggressive $1.6 billion investment in its stores, with plans to remodel and expand more than 1,300 of its locations by 2020. The announcement comes as competition heats up in the value grocery segment, which is bracing itself for the entry of Germany’s Lidl. At the same, Whole Foods Market continues to expand its new, less pricey format, 365 by Whole Foods.