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Duckwall-Alco said Thursday it's officially changing its name to Alco Stores, Inc. An amendment at Wednesday’s annual shareholder meeting was approved. The company’s ticker symbol on NASDAQ is now “ALCS.” The 111-year-old chain has 216 locations in 23 states, mostly in small-town environments. Plans are on tap to open five new stores in fiscal 2013, while eight underperforming stores are slated to be closed.

Iconix Europe has announced the first two major European retail partnerships for its brands Material Girl and Ocean Pacific. The Otto Group has signed on to create and sell the Material Girl collection in Europe. The Material Girl juniors line, designed by Madonna and her daughter, Lola, will be sold in Germany, Russia and other countries across Europe, with the fall collection sold internationally on the Otto website. Georgia May Jagger, daughter of musician Mick Jagger, was named as the global face of this campaign earlier in the month. The multi-territory deal is an exclusive agreement between MG Icon

Henri Bendel, a subsidiary of Columbus, Ohio-based Limited Brands Inc., will open two stores in Las Vegas, according to www.wwd.com. The first store is slated to open at the FashionShow Mall on Aug. 29. A second shop will open at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace on Nov. 15. The Las Vegas openings are part of the retailer’s national expansion of downsized, accessories-focused stores, which began in 2009. Currently, there are 21 Henri Bendel locations in the United States. SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT | MOST POPULAR | RSS DDI's RetailDesignDiva blog is dedicated to retail design issues,

Faucet manufacturer Moen Inc. promoted Ji Kim to director of global design, effective immediately. In her new role, Kim will be responsible for providing design leadership and vision for the global design team at Moen. She will set and drive strategy for product design in several countries for categories including faucets, showerheads, accessories and bath safety items. “Since Ji joined our design team in 2004, she has made significant contributions to our global product designs, showrooms and overall design strategy,” said Michael Pickett, VP global strategic development, Moen. “Ji has proven her strength as both a designer and a

HONG KONG, Feb. 7, 2012 – Walmart announced today that Greg Foran, senior vice president for Walmart International, has been named president and CEO of Walmart China. Foran will relocate to China, pending work visa approval, and assume his new role effective March 1. A thirty-year retail veteran, Foran joined Walmart in October 2011. Prior to that, he grew his career in New Zealand and Australia from a part time job stocking shelves to head of Woolworths’ Supermarket Division. Foran held several senior roles within Woolworths including General Manager of Big W, the company’s discount department store division, and

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New York -- The Finish Line Inc. said Friday its fiscal first-quarter profit fell 25% as higher costs offset sales growth. For the quarter ended June 2, the company earned $12.3 million, just beating Wall Street expectations, down from $16.4 million in the year-ago period. Sales rose 6.5% to $319 million, from $299.5 million. Same-store sales were up 8%. The company's cost of sales rose 9.3% to $214.4 million. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased 11% to $84.8 million.

Word on the street is Best Buy’s founder Richard Schulze would like to find a buyer willing to help turn around the struggling chain. But retail industry insiders question whether anyone would want to invest billions of dollars in the electronics retailer in its current state. Schulze left his position as Best Buy’s chairman earlier this month and has reportedly hired the Credit Suisse Group to help him explore buyout options for the retailer. Schulze still owns a stake in the company valued at approximately $1.4 billion, but in order to present a viable buyout plan he would have

Upscale department store Nordstrom plans to finally open a store in Manhattan. The store will be located in a planned hotel/residential tower at 57th Street and Broadway, according to The New York Times. The store will contain approximately 30,000 square feet of space. Nordstrom has been looking for a site in Manhattan since the 1990s, but hasn’t been able to find the right opportunity. The retailer did open a Nordstrom Rack store at Union Square in 2010.