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Best Buy settles Ultimate Electronics advertising lawsuit
July 19, 2010

Best Buy Co. will withdraw its unfair advertising lawsuit against Colorado-based Ultimate Electronics. The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reported that attorneys for both companies released the information in a joint filing Friday. Best Buy and Thornton, Colo.-based Ultimate Electronics agreed to resolve the suit after Ultimate stopped claiming it price-shopped Best Buy and other retailers daily to offer lower prices.Best Buy sued in April, citing its own surveys and price comparisons by the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota that found Ultimate's prices were frequently higher than those at Best Buy.Friday's filing acknowledges that Ultimate ended those

Netflix to expand into Canada
July 19, 2010

Netflix said Monday it will launch a Canadian service for streaming movies and TV episodes later this year. The expansion marks the first international venture for the company. Starting this fall throughout Canada, Netflix will offer unlimited movies and TV episodes streamed instantly to TVs and computers for a monthly fee.In addition to representing its international debut, Canada will also mark the first streaming-only service promoted by Netflix.At the time of launch, the Netflix Canadian service will be available in English only, but the company said it expects to add French language capability over time.

Neiman Marcus' monthly sales rise 1.9 percent
July 19, 2010

Luxury shoppers took a break in June. Last month, Neiman Marcus posted its weakest monthly sales increase since the Dallas-based retailerโ€™s sales turned positive in December. Also Online Neiman Marcus reported Thursday a 1.9 percent increase in same-store sales. Revenue growth trends were strongest in the West and New York City. Competitor Saks Inc. said Thursday its sales increased 2.5 percent, slightly better than the 2 percent rise analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected, but also lower than its recent trend. Data released Wednesday by MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse said luxury spending dropped 3.9 percent in June for the first

Rue La La names former Kohlโ€™s exec as COO
July 19, 2010

Online retailer Rue La La said Monday it has named Jeffery Marshall as COO, effective July 6. Marshall is the former senior VP and CIO for Kohlโ€™s Department Stores.In his new position with Rue La La, Marshall will be directly responsible for all technology, fulfillment and operations, and will report to Ben Fischman, Rue La La's CEO.At Kohlโ€™s, Marshall executed a transformation of the retailerโ€™s Information Services division, helping to drive collaboration and efficiency across its different business units. Marshall's team implemented numerous technology systems within Kohl's, including point-of-sale, merchandise planning and allocation markdown optimization, warehouse management and distribution,

Target Introduces New Line for Girls
July 18, 2010

โ€” Target will introduce a new apparel and accessories line, Disneyรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs D-Signed for Target, in August. Aligning with the back-to-school season, the line targets tween girls and will be available in sizes 4-16. The collection is based on fashions worn by characters in Disney Channel shows, including Sonny with a Chance and Witches of Waverly Place.

Tommy Hilfiger to debut new brand and store format
July 16, 2010

Tommy Hilfiger Group will debut a new line, Tommy, targeted at young men and women in their twenties, Womenโ€™s Wear Daily reported. The brand will debut in Canada, with three freestanding stores and in dedicated areas of 14 existing Tommy Hilfiger stores in Canada, according to the report. Stores will average 4,000 sq. ft. to 4,500 sq. ft.

Burberry Buys Chinese Retail Operations
July 16, 2010

London-based Burberry Group Plc plans to buy out its franchise partner in China for $107.5 million, according to Reuters.com. Under the agreement with Kwok Hang Holdings Ltd, Burberry will acquire 50 stores across 30 cities. The purchase is part of the companys plan to unify the brand globally. The company plans to improve productivity in the existing stores and open new stores as well. SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT | MOST POPULAR | RSS | REPRINTS DDI's RetailDesignDiva blog is dedicated to retail design issues, opinions and frustrations of the day.Read the Diva's recent rantings. DDI visited the

Christopher & Banks appoints interim CFO
July 16, 2010

Christopher & Banks Corp. has appointed Michael Lyftogt as interim CFO.Lyftogt replaces Rodney Carter, who has left the company to pursue other interests. The retailer indicated it is commencing a search for a permanent CFO.Lyftogt has been with Christopher & Banks since March 1998. Prior to this appointment, he served as VP finance.

Carlyle to Buy Supplements Maker NBTY for $3.8 Billion
July 15, 2010

Carlyle Group inked a $3.8 billion deal on Thursday to acquire vitamin supplement maker NBTY (NTY) at a 47% premium, marking one of 2010โ€™s largest private equity deals. The $55-a-share all-cash deal represents a 57% premium on NBTYโ€™s 30-day closing price. NBTY said it sees the deal closing by the end of 2010. The deal received financing from equity contributed by Carlyle Partners, which is a $13.7 billion U.S. buyout fund, and external debt financing from Bank of America (BAC), Barclays Capital (BCS) and Credit Suisse (CS). "This transaction delivers exceptional value to our shareholders. For our wholesale and