Kohl's Bets Big on California
from Los Angeles Times
When Mervyns called it quits last year, many in the recession-battered retailing world were surprised when Kohl's Corp. rushed to take over dozens of the failed chain's locations. Both department stores sold a similar mix of mid-priced apparel, accessories and home furnishings.More

Best Buy to Sell iRex E-Reader This Month
from Reuters
U.S. electronics retailer Best Buy Co plans to sell an iRex Technologies e-reader that links to the Barnes & Noble digital bookstore, the companies said. The device from iRex, a spin-off of Royal Philips Electronics, will have an 8.1-inch touchscreen and will sell for $399 when it goes on sale at Best Buy later this month under the iRex DR800SG brand.More

Office Depot in Partnership to Sell Products in Convenience Stores
from Chain Store Age
Office Depot and Lil' Drug Store Products, a leading supplier to the convenience store class of trade, announced an exclusive partnership that will enable the distribution of Office Depot office supplies for sale in convenience stores throughout the country.More

Samsonite Stores Files for Bankruptcy
from The Boston Globe
Samsonite Co. Stores, the U.S. retail division of luggage-maker Samsonite Corp., sought bankruptcy protection from creditors, citing a decline in demand for travel gear. The company, based in Mansfield, Mass., listed $233 million in assets and $1.5 billion in debts as of July 31 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del.More

Wal-mart Canada Opening First High-efficiency Supercenter
from CNW Ltée
Wa-lmart Canada opened its first high-efficiency prototype in the community of Waterdown, Ontario. The Supercentre is expected to use 30 percent less energy and will integrate industry-leading heating, cooling and refrigeration systems to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The high-efficiency prototype will become the norm for all future Wa-lmart stores nationwide. More

Mall Retailers Suffering Larger Sales Declines than Other Retailers
from Reed Construction Data
Construction spending for shopping centers and shopping malls is down more than 40 percent from a year ago, about a 10 percent deeper decline than for other retail facilities. Project starts data also shows a relatively deeper decline for shopping centers and malls than for other retailing.More

Retailers Among Nation's Greenest Companies
from Retailing Today
The retail industry was well represented in Newsweek's list of the 500 greenest companies, with many of the sector's largest companies being recognized for their environmental practices. At 18, Kohl's was the highest ranking retailer on the list. The department store chain was recognized for having the largest solar program in the retail industry. Staples was next at 20, and was recognized for its increased use of recycled materials in the paper it sells and its retrofitting of its stores. Other retailers on the list included Gap, JCPenney and Wal-Mart. More

Retailers Look to Fill Vacancies in Chicago's Loop and Affluent Shopping Districts
from Retail Traffic
It is time to move back to the city. That is the conclusion that many national and local retailers seem to be drawing about Chicago. There, firms have responded to the downturn by reining in expansion plans in the suburbs in favor of pursuing urban locations that have opened up in Chicago's Loop and North Side neighborhoods. The interest from retailers can be summed up in two words: density and dollars.More

CEO: Macy's Predicts a 13 Percent Rise in Web Sales This Year
from Internet Retailer
Macy's Inc. expects to surpass $1 billion in Web sales this year, a 13 percent rise from 2008, CEO Terry Lundgren said. Lundgren, in a keynote address at the Shop.org Annual Summit in Las Vegas, also said sales at the company's Macys.com and Bloomingdales.com e-commerce sites influence about $5 billion a year in in-store sales at the Macy's and Bloomingdale's chains.More

Moody's: Credit Card Trends Worsened in August
from The Associated Press via The New York Times
Credit card users' management of their accounts deteriorated in August, a reversal of the declining delinquency and default rates that were seen in recent months, Moody's Investors Service said. Moody's latest monthly report on card industry trends cited a spike in charge-offs -- credit card account balances written off as uncollectable as an annualized percentage of total outstanding principal balance.More

Despite Economy, 'Green' Still Draws Interest
from National Jeweler Network
All that glitters and is "green" was on full display in Manhattan at eco-luxe, a one-night showcase of luxury products that are eco-friendly and sustainable. Fittingly held at environmentally conscious restaurant Rouge Tomate, the event showcased everything from reusable water bottles designed to cut down on plastic waste to a $3,000 wedding dress made entirely of 100-percent-natural Portuguese cork.More