Retail Stores

J.Crew to Expand DC to Support International Expansion
April 13, 2011

J.Crew said it plans a $20 million expansion of its Lynchburg, Va., distribution center to facilitate the retailer’s goal of selling more clothes overseas. J.Crew is slated to open its first store outside the tates and start shipping orders to Europe by the end of 2011.

Retail Container Traffic Expected to Rise in April
April 12, 2011

Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to be up 9 percent in April over the same month last year, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

Bed Bath & Beyond to Open 45 Stores in 2011
April 12, 2011

Bed Bath & Beyond announced plans to open approximately 45 new stores across all of the company's concepts during 2011. "We believe that throughout the U.S. and Canada, there's an opportunity to create in excess of 1,300 Bed Bath & Beyond stores, as well as grow our Christmas Tree Shops and buybuy BABY concepts from coast to coast," said Warren Eisenberg, co-chairman of Bed Bath & Beyond.

Costco to Sell $1M Diamond Ring
April 12, 2011

Costco is selling a 6.77 carat diamond solitaire ring for $1 million. The million dollar diamond ring is a bargain, having been valued at £1.6 million by the International Gemological Institute. Costco sells everything from t-bone steak to toilet paper and so adding a diamond ring to its product portfolio may seem a little strange from the onset.

Sears to Roll Out Beauty Departments
April 12, 2011

Sears announced the expansion of beauty departments to more than 100 store locations and Sears.com. The new cosmetics departments will include beauty products from such well-known brands as L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon and CoverGirl, in a range of hues for every woman.

Audio: The Return of Luxury Retail
April 11, 2011

Consumers spent more on retail goods in the first quarter than they did during the same time last year. That's despite higher gas prices, bad weather and a late Easter holiday.

Microsoft Execs in Heated Battle Over Opening More Retail Stores
April 11, 2011

An internal battle is raging at Microsoft over whether and how fast the company should open more retail stores. According to sources close to the company, CEO Steve Ballmer and COO Kevin Turner are both hot on the idea of matching — or even surpassing—  Apple's retail presence of over 300 stores. The stores are a big reason for Apple's success in the last decade, as they give customers opportunities to play with products like the iPad and iPhone.

Best Buy Faces iPad 2 Shortages, Restricts Sales
April 11, 2011

Best Buy is temporarily restricting sales of the Apple iPad 2 as it faces supply shortages and an "upcoming promotion." In response to reports that some customers seeking to buy an iPad had been turned away, Best Buy acknowledged that its employees had been asked to hold on to iPad inventories not yet sold or reserved.