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Dallas -- Alliance Data Systems Corp. said Thursday that it has signed a new long-term agreement to provide private-label credit card services for Christopher & Banks. Under terms of the agreement, Alliance Data will provide Christopher & Banks and CJ Banks with private-label credit card services, as well as beefed-up loyalty benefits. "For us, the Christopher & Banks and CJ Banks credit card program is a critical way to extend our brand recognition and create additional customer excitement around our new look and shopping experience,” said Larry Barenbaum, president and CEO, Christopher & Banks.

The following commentary comes from an independent investor or market observer as part of TheStreet's guest contributor program, which is separate from the company's news coverage. NEW YORK (Trefis) -- American Eagle Outfitters(AEO) We believe that this is a smart move by American Eagle as the company targets the 15- to 25-year old age group, which represents a major chunk of total smartphone users in the U.S. American Eagle Outfitters together with Aeropostale(ARO) With the number of smartphone users increasing in an exponential manner, retailers want to tap smartphones as a medium to enhance their business. According to a

While many consumers remain focused on prestige pieces that will retain their worth, young consumers are racing to purchase "new luxury" accessories like high-priced handbags and shoes, according to a study just released by PM Digital, a New York-based digital marketing agency.

Retail industry veteran Vicki Cantrell will join the National Retail Federation as senior vice president, communities and executive director of Shop.org on Oct. 31. Cantrell has held prominent positions at Giorgio Armani, Gucci and most recently Tory Burch, where she served as COO and CIO during a period of significant expansion.

Target confirmed that its website crashed for the second time in six weeks on Oct. 25, going down at approximately 12:50 p.m. EDT and then coming back up two hours later. Target.com also crashed on Sept. 13, after the retailer’s online introduction of its new line of Missoni apparel and items.

Layaway almost disappeared during the last economic boom. With easy credit and plenty of home equity to tap, many families no longer needed a pay-as-you-go way of making purchases. But today, layaway is back. And in a big way.

It was only a matter of time before opportunists started to look for ways to cash in on the Occupy Wall Street movement. Now both the 99 percent and the 1 percent are trying to claim 100 percent of the movement. 

Online retailers have plenty to be joyous about this holiday season as new research shows companies are adjusting their holiday plans based on expected growth and strong demand from holiday shoppers.

New York-based C. Wonder opened its first-ever retail store in New York’s SoHo neighborhood on Oct. 22, according to www.businessweek.com. The store offers brightly colored and moderately priced home-décor products, as well as casual women’s clothes. The fitting rooms are equipped with small touchscreens, allowing customers to change the music and lighting as they try on clothes. In addition, sales associates are equipped with iPod Touches to provide customers with information about the clothes. Three more C. Wonder stores are slated to open in 2011: a store at The Westchester mall in White Plains, N.Y.; another at the Garden

In a rare interview, TJX CEO Carol Meyrowitz explained how conventional wisdom is wrong when it comes to T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. Meyrowitz says 85 percent of what the stores sell is from the same season and same year it was designed for, and 85 percent is purchased directly from manufacturers. Much is identical to what the brands sell in department stores, she insists.