Retail Stores

French fashion label A.P.C has come up with a new technique for creating the perfect vintage look: recycling. Instead of abandoning worn-out A.P.C jeans, you can now take them to the store and swap them for a brand-new pair for half the price.

Back-to-school sales have been particularly strong for Apple this year, with both the Mac and iPad proving popular, while non-Apple tablets have failed to gain traction with education buyers.

Cooking retailer Sur La Table said it will open a flagship store in New York City's Hearst Tower in late 2011. The new store will include Sur La Table’s largest kitchen and cooking class program. Consumers will be able to take cooking classes, as well as attend events with media partners and renowned chefs from around the world. Cooking classes are currently slated to start in early December.

Kohl's Corp. reported that profit for the quarter ended July 30 rose 17 percent to $303 million, compared with $260 million in the year-ago period. The retailer cited tightened cost controls and success of store-label brands for the improved performance, and has raised its full-year guidance.

Urban Outfitters, a lifestyle specialty retail company operating under the Anthropologie, Free People, BHLDN, Terrain and Urban Outfitters brands, announced net income of $57 million and $95 million for the three months and six months ended July 31, 2011, respectively. Earnings per diluted share were $0.35 for the quarter and $0.59 for the six months ended July 31, 2011

Looking to profit from the lucrative sports market, apparel chain Old Navy will open Superfan Nation, an in-store shop featuring licensed sports gear, at its U.S. stores this month. Beginning Aug. 18, Old Navy will sell apparel and accessories from NFL and select collegiate sports teams at about 1,000 stores, with each catering to the local community's favorite teams.

Payless ShoeSource announced that it will rebuild its tornado-demolished store in Joplin, Mo., with a new 3,100-sq.-ft. store at the same location. “The people of Joplin have been through a great loss and they need the support of many to build-back all that was lost," said LuAnn Via, CEO and president of Payless. "They are now energized by their future and focused on rebuilding a community even better than before. And we'll be there with them."

Nordstrom reported that net income for its second quarter rose 20 percent to $175 million, compared with $146 million in the year earlier period. Revenue surged 12.4 percent to $2.72 billion, benefited by strong promotions and matching Wall Street estimates. Same-store sales rose a solid 7.3 percent. The department store retailer has raised its profit outlook for the full year.

Retailers finally unveiled the physical version of "Watch The Throne," the collaborative album between Jay-Z and Kanye West, on Aug. 12, but the rappers did them one better: they constructed a pop-up store on Mulberry Street in New York City that held the tricked-out Maybach that appears in the duo's music video for "Otis."

Today is National Relaxation Day and retailer Tommy Bahama, a company built on the principles of relaxation, is embracing the concept as the "unofficial outfitter" for the holiday. Known for relaxed, casual clothing, Tommy Bahama's philosophy is to make life one long weekend.