News

Crocs has debuted a new store design that puts a fresh, more contemporary spin on the 10-year-old brand while paying homage to its heritage. The new look, which debuted at Bluewater shopping center, located 17 miles east of London, also allows the casual-footwear retailer to showcase its full range of product, with compelling visual merchandising stories.

Oak Brook, Ill. -- McDonald's Corp. reported Monday that net income for the quarter ended June 30 dipped 4% to $1.3 billion, from $1.4 billion in the same period last year.

Revenue was essentially flat at $6.915 billion, compared with $6.905 billion in 2011.
   
Global same-store sales increased 3.7%, led by Europe at 3.8% growth and the United States with 3.6% growth.
 

Roseville, Calif. -- End-to-end merchandise optimization solution-provider Revionics said that beverage retailer BevMo! has selected Revionics as the provider of its price and promotions optimization system.
 
In a three-year agreement, Revionics will be providing BevMo! Revionics Price Optimization for base price management and optimization and Revionics Promotion Optimization for promotion planning and optimization.

South Deerfield, Mass. -- The Yankee Candle Co. said Monday it has named Brad Wolansky to the newly created role of president of direct and CMO.

The retailer said Wolansky’s appointment is part of a strategic initiative focused on building the company's brands, expanding the digital platform and accelerating growth of its direct-to-consumer business.

Wolansky most recently served as CEO of web-based The Golf Warehouse. He also has served as VP global e-commerce at The Orvis Co.
 

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. — Teen retailer Hot Topic has named Kate Horton as VP, general merchandise manager for itsTorrid division, which retails fashion apparel, lingerie and accessories for young women who wear sizes 12 and up.

Reporting to Hot Topic Inc. chairman and CEO Lisa Harper, Horton will drive the merchandising strategy for Torrid, leading a team of merchants to develop an assortment of fashion apparel that is reflective of the brand’s position, is enticing to consumers, and drives sales and profit margins.

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J. — Samsung Electronics America Inc.received the highest customer satisfaction ranking in three categories in the annual J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Kitchen and Laundry Appliance StudiesSM. The company was a winner in the refrigeration category for the seventh year out of the last eight years, the dryer category for the fifth consecutive year and the washer category for the fourth consecutive year.

Mobile payments and technologies such as near field communications are a double-edged sword. The source of potential improvement to store experience, competitive advantage and efficiency, emerging point-of-sale technologies also create new opportunities for bad guys to steal. That’s why the University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) have joined forces on the issue.

ARMONK, N.Y. — In-store sales of women’s clothing are expected to see a 9.2% increase in the third quarter of 2012 versus the year-ago period, according to a just-released IBM analytics-based forecast of U.S. retail sales data. The report predicts a 6.2% increase in sales of children’s clothing and a 5.2% increase in footwear. Men’s clothing, however, is forecast to lag, dropping 6.7%.

NEW YORK — The Estée Lauder Cos, whose brand portfolio includes Bumble and Bumble, American Beauty, Aveda and La Mer, has appointed Tracey Travis as EVP and CFO.

She will jointly report to executive chairman William Lauder and Fabrizio Freda, president and CEO. Travis will assume her new position on Aug. 20.

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Kohl's has reached an agreement with the state of Wisconsin that will keep the retailer’s headquarters in Menomonee Falls, which is located about 20 miles northwest of Milwaukee. Kohl’s will receive up to $62.5 million in tax credits from the state over 12 years. The final amount of the tax credits is dependent on the number of employees the chain adds at its facility and the amount of money Kohl’s invests in developing its campus.