Personnel Updates
• Claire’s Holdings LLC (33) has appointed Ryan Vero as its new CEO. He succeeds Kevin Corning, who served as interim CEO since March.
• David’s Bridal (68) has appointed James Marcum as the company’s new CEO.
• Genesco Inc. (81) has appointed Mel Tucker as Senior VP of Finance and CFO. He succeeds Mimi E. Vaughn, who recently was promoted to COO.
• Crew Group Inc. (82) announced that it has named Billy May as Chief Customer Officer for the J. Crew Brand.
• Lord & Taylor (122) has announced that Vanessa LeFebvre, President of the company, is leaving.
• Tapestry (132) announced the appointment of Joanne Crevoiserat as CFO, effective Aug. 1.
Financial Focus
• The Neiman Marcus Group announced that it will no longer be filing regular reports publicly with the SEC.
Mergers and Acquisitions
• Vera Bradley, Inc. has announced its acquisition of Creative Genius Inc., which also operates under the name Pura Vida Bracelets.
Industry Insight
• Kohl’s Corporation announced it is now accepting unpackaged Amazon returns at all of its stores nationwide.
• Lululemon Athletica Inc. announced plans to introduce shoes and rolled out personal care products for men and women.
• Victoria’s Secret has debuted in France with the opening of a new 5,400 sq. ft. store in Paris.
• UNIQLO announced it will open three new stores in India beginning in October 2019.
Real Estate
• Barney’s New York announced it will anchor Miami’s Bal Harbour Shops with a 57,000 sq. ft. location.
• Birks Group Inc. recently opened a 4,700 sq. ft. Mayors flagship store at Merrick Park in Coral Gables, FL.
• Charming Charlie Inc. announced it will close all of its stores by the end of August.
• Francesca’s Holdings Corp. announced that it now expects to close at least 30 locations this year.
• Lululemon Athletica Inc. has quietly closed its men’s standalone stores in New York City and Toronto. The retailer also announced it has opened its largest store to date. The new 20,000 sq. ft. store is in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood.
• Primark will open its first store in the Midwest, in downtown Chicago, IL. The retailer will take over a 45,000 sq. ft. building in the heart of the Loop.
• Ross Stores Inc. announced the recent opening of 22 Ross Dress for Less and six dd’s Discounts stores across 10 different states in June and July. These new locations are part of the company’s plans to add 100 stores in 2019.
Technology News
• Rue21 is rolling out an online payment solution from Klarna that allows customers to pay for purchases with four equal payments collected bi-weekly.
