Dubai

Macy's is exploring opening its first-ever department store in China, according to trade publication Women's Wear Daily. Chief Executive Terry Lundgren and other top executives have made several recent flights to China and may be close to signing a deal, said the trade publication citing unnamed sources. The retailer could open a full-blown Macy's or Bloomingdale's department store or possibly a specialty store selling private brand merchandise. If it opened a Bloomingdale's, it would be only the second such international store — the first is in Dubai.

Chic apparel and accessories retailer Tory Burch is leveraging digital channels to fuel its dynamic growth. In addition to its thriving e-commerce business, the retailer has opened company-owned brick-and-mortar stores in growing markets such as Hong Kong, Dubai and Singapore, not to mention its wholesale presence in leading department stores such as Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom. Yet there's one constant within all these different channels: a commitment to providing customers the best experience possible.

In the final part of this two-part series on the "20-Plus Things to Watch in Retail” section of JWT's Retail Rebooted report, I discuss 12 of these 20-plus things, including the mobile-powered consumer, shopping hotels and variable pricing. In part one, I discussed 10 trends contained in the report, including 3-D printing, alternative brand currencies and click-and-collect shopping.

Companies all over the world are using Facebook's simplified ad units to gain new customers or grow more exposure for their brand. Stuart Weitzman, a high-end shoe company, has used Facebook to learn more about how it's liked in other countries. With this data in mind, Weitzman enhanced its brick-and-mortar presence in Dubai and Mexico, among other places. Working with social media monetization firm SocialFlow, Stuart Weitzman learned more through Facebook about its popularity in other markets, and then expanded its presence in countries where the Facebook metrics were more positive.

As part of a steady international push ,Kate Spade New York announced that it intends to buy its Japanese joint venture partner, Sanei International, out of their 51 percent share in the jointly owned company, Kate Spade Japan. This is part of a robust international expansion,which includes recent store openings in the UK, Dubai, and Kuwait as well as further expansion into Brazil with additional store openings in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo planned for this summer.

New York -- Kate Spade New York announced Thursday that it will buy its Japanese JV partner Sanei International’s 51% share in Kate Spade Japan. The move, said Kate Spade, is part of an aggressive international push that includes recent store openings in the United Kingdom, Dubai and Kuwait, as well as further expansion into Brazil with additional store openings in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo planned for this summer. "Kate Spade New York has a long and successful history in the Asian market,” said Craig Leavitt, CEO, Kate Spade New York. “It is our strategy to build