Prospecting

Regional sporting goods chain Hibbett Sports plans to begin construction this fall on a new distribution facility that will support more than 2,000 stores. Hibbett on Monday announced plans to build, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, a wholesaling and logistics facility in Alabaster, Alabama. Construction on the new 360,000 square-foot facility is expected to commence in fall 2012 and be fully operational by fall 2014.  

Matthews, N.C.-based Family Dollar is on track to open 450 to 500 new stores while closing 60 to 80 stores this year. During the first three quarters of fiscal 2012, the retailer opened 287 new stores, closed 43 stores and renovated, relocated or expanded 583 stores. Family Dollar currently operates more than 7,100 stores in 45 states. 

Lifestyle apparel retailer Tommy Bahama has leveraged its relationship with Major League Baseball (MLB) into a successful tool for introducing its brand to a new audience — and sell some limited-edition shirts in the process.

Toys"R"Us has enhanced its loyalty program with the launch of a new integrated, point-based system that delivers streamlined benefits for members, as well as new and existing "R"Us credit card holders. Rewards"R"Us members can now enjoy unlimited access to expanded loyalty benefits when shopping at Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com. Toys"R"Us is also launching its new credit card program, including an "R"Us-branded credit card and a MasterCard co-branded card, issued by GE Capital Retail Bank, connecting cardholders with all the perks of Rewards"R"Us and more. 

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. 

The Children's Place announced that it's signed a 10-year franchise agreement with Fawaz A. AlHokair & Co. SJSC, known as "Fashion Retail," to open stores across Saudi Arabia. The first two stores are scheduled to open during the second quarter of 2012. Jane Elfers, president and CEO of The Children's Place, stated, "We are very excited to begin our international expansion beyond North America with a number of stores opening in Saudi Arabia this year."

Bazaarvoice released the fourth edition of The Conversation Index, its quarterly research series that turns millions of consumer conversations into a strong data signal for brands and marketers. Derived entirely from first-person input from people across the globe, every edition of The Conversation Index provides tangible ways for brands to improve sales, loyalty and products.

The iconic American retailer J.Crew and Lane Crawford, Asia 's leading designer specialty store, are excited to announce a strategic partnership, providing consumers in Asia with special access to the J.Crew women's and men's collections through Lane Crawford's retail and online stores. 

Loft, a division of Ann Inc. — formerly known as Ann Taylor — will open its first Canadian location at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto, Ontario, in late 2012. "Canada represents a natural step as we move to expand internationally, and we are excited to open our first store outside the U.S. in such a vibrant city like Toronto," said Gary Muto, brand president.

Samsung recently announced that it will open retail stores in Canada. Although Samsung has not announced an aggressive retail strategy yet, this is a sign that they are testing the markets to see if it is a viable option. Samsung expects the location in Burnaby, British Columbia, to offer hands-on training with products and demonstrations of product features.