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Bad news: your cherished denim might not be so great for Mother Nature. Levi Strauss released a statement saying the typical pair of blue jeans consumes 919 gallons of water during its lifespan, or the equivalent of 15 spa-size bathtubs.

Omaha, Neb. -- Apparel and home fashions retailer Gordmans Stores said Wednesday it has named Michael Wirkkala as executive VP operations and COO. Wirkkala was previously VP of store operations for Charming Charlie. He also worked for Macy’s for three decades.

The National Retail Federation issued a statement from Senior Vice President and General Counsel Mallory Duncan in response to Bank of America's announcement that it has dropped plans to impose a $5 monthly fee on debit card users.

NEW YORK —Totsy, a private sales site dedicated to offering exclusive deals to parents, babies and children, announced that it has named a new chief technology officer and a new creative director. The company has appointed Richard Minns as chief technology officer. Minns brings 15 years of corporate experience in technology and e-commerce, most recently from 1800FLOWERS.com. Craig Sosonko has been named creative director. Sosonko brings more than 12 years of creative experience working with brands such as Apple, Google, CNN, Nokia, American Express, Kmart, Absolut, MTV, eBay and E*TRADE.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings has entered the future of staying connected to consumers introducing mobile shopping walls in high-traffic areas. The shopping walls, which will feature top toys that customers can purchase from their smartphones by scanning the products' QR code, will be available in select malls across the United States, and, for Kmart only, in movie theater lobbies in major markets. Additionally, shoppers can find the Sears and Kmart mobile walls in airports in Chicago, Dallas, Denver and Puerto Rico, and at bus shelters nationwide. “With the hectic holiday season, we know how important it

Sally Beauty has acquired Netherlands-based Kappersservice Floral and two related companies, Hair Zone and Exphair, as part of the company’s international growth strategy.

Naperville, Ill. -- OfficeMax announced that it has appointed Jim Barr as executive VP and chief digital officer, effective Nov. 14. Barr will be responsible for all aspects of the company's e-commerce business and for driving its multichannel digital strategy. Barr has been working with the OfficeMax e-commerce business in an advisory capacity since July 2011. Prior to that, he served as president of Sears Holdings' online division.

The moto-casual label VaVaVroom has been selected to join a group of up-and-coming Chicago-area designers to participate in a pop-up clothing store. “Made in Chicago” will open on Nov. 16 and run through Dec. 31, just in time for the holidays. In addition, the brand, founded by Denise Maple, will host a joint trunk show with SoundChick Accessories on Dec. 9 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. VaVaVroom will showcase its latest motorcycle-inspired fashions. Shoppers can choose from 10 charities in which to donate 10 percent of what they spend on purchases. “Made in Chicago” designers were chosen by

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Big Lots reported that sales for the third quarter ended Oct. 29 were $1.1 billion, an increase of 6% compared with $1 billion for the third quarter of fiscal 2010. Comparable-store sales increased 1.7% for the third quarter of fiscal 2011. Commenting on sales for the quarter, Steve Fishman, chairman, CEO and president stated, "We were encouraged by the improving trends in most of our major merchandise categories, positive early response to certain of our holiday strategies, and favorable results from our promotional friends and family event during the quarter. From a merchandising perspective, consumables was

NEW YORK — Consumer spending slowed in October, sending a note of caution as retailers head into the holiday season. Eleven retailers missed expectations for same-store sales, while three chains beat estimates, according to a preliminary tally by Thomson Reuters. However, while the October results were not as promising as some retailers had hoped, sales for the most part rose and most chains reported results that were only slightly off from analysts’ estimates. Some analysts blamed Wall Street for underestimating how much caution is still out there. "This is expectations getting ahead of reality," said AlixPartners managing director Joel