Merchandising

Saks Fifth Avenue's discount retail concept 'Off 5th' will open up to 25 Canadian locations, according to Hudson's Bay Company CEO Richard Baker. Saks' Off 5th concept will likely follow the opening of Canadian Saks Fifth Avenue stores, which we expect to happen within the next 12-18 months.  Existing Hudson's Bay real estate will likely be utilized for Off 5th stores, including some Home Outfitters and former Zellers real estate still held by The Hudson's Bay Company. Existing store space within Hudson's Bay stores could also be utilized for Off 5th.

The Children's Place has stopped selling a T-shirt that sparked complaints of sexism. The girls' shirts said "My best subjects" at the top and had checks in boxes next to shopping, music and dancing. The box next to math was blank. Under, it said, "Well, nobody's perfect." The Secaucus, N.J.-based retailer tweeted Monday evening that it was pulling the shirt from stores and apologized "to anyone we may have offended." In recent days, the company's Facebook page was swamped with criticism of the shirt, saying it perpetuated a

A warning for bargain shoppers: Is your favorite retailer misleading you with those big sales? We've reported on this before, and now we're back with a new development. We all love a good sale, and when you see that sign — 20 percent off, 30 percent off, 50 percent off — you assume you're getting a deal. But we found that sale price may not be a deal at all.

Sears is trying to grab consumers’ attention by selling $33,000 Rolex watches and other designer goods. This according to Dana Mattioli and Suzanne Kapner at The Wall Street Journal, who wrote that the "Marketplace" section of the retailer's website contains luxury items from brands like Chanel, Balenciaga and Zac Posen. Sears Chairman and CEO Eddie Lampert is pushing employees to secure the items because he hopes desirable goods will make Sears more relevant, WSJ reports.

Nike's attempt to show the Carolina Panthers some love with a home-state T-shirt backfired when the marketer confused North Carolina with its southern counterpart. Late last week, an astute fan alerted Charlotte Observer sports columnist Scott Fowler to the availability of a geographically challenged T-shirt in Nike's online store. The shirt depicted the Panthers logo with the initials "NC" superimposed over a graphic of South Carolina.

San Francisco-based e-tailer ModCloth is a brand that you can be friends with. And, as they can tell you, friends come in all different shapes and sizes. The vintage-inspired retailer is making a point to pay attention to what's commonly referred to as "plus-size fashion," a side of the industry that's often overlooked. Though the average American woman buys a size 12, many high-fashion designers top out at size eight. American mass-market retailers like Ann Taylor and Banana Republic are more democratic, but only slightly so.

"Project Runway" is about to experience some culture shock: The show has announced that Southern department store Belk will replace Lord & Taylor as the sponsor for its 12th season. "As the authority on lifestyle and fashion in the South," Belk President and Chief Merchandising Officer Kathryn Bufano said, "we are looking forward to adding our perspective to the show."

Abercrombie & Fitch has woken a who-knows-how-many strong group of angry Taylor Swift fans thanks to a T-shirt that reads "# more boyfriends than t.s." One fan quickly erected a Change.org petition and then made a YouTube video, in which she called fellow fans to contact Abercrombie's public relations department.

When flash-sale sites initially launched in the late 2000s, many used limited inventory, narrow purchase windows and final sales to create a sense of urgency among consumers. The most loyal shoppers might sit glued to their computer or iPhone when sales start to ensure the best selection of designer goods. But as these sites have evolved and sought to attract sales from less die-hard consumers, many now allow returns on items not marked final sale.

Bowing to pressure from the Partnership at Drugfree.org, fashion retailer Urban Outfitters has agreed to pull merchandise made to look like prescription pill bottles, including prescription label flasks and pint and shot glasses, from its shelves.Urban Outfitters issued a statement to CNN late last week confirming that it was discontinuing the sale of products made to look like prescription drug paraphernalia.