Retail Stores

Apparel manufacturer Weatherproof will open its first Apartment 32 store on Nov. 10, and will have an unusual “leave your BlackBerry at the door” policy. “We’re providing a great venue for people to visit, put their feet up and enjoy face-to-face conversation,” says Freddie Stollmack, president of Weatherproof.

Fashion retailer H&M is creating its first stand-alone stores in the U.K. for its Cheap Monday and Monki brands, debuting on London's Carnaby Street next year.

Christmas '11: The Retail Forecast, a half-day conference presented by the Retail Marketing Society on Nov. 1 in New York City, showcased Morgan Stanley analysts naming eight cross-channel retailers they're betting on for success this holiday season.

The National Retail Federation issued a statement from Senior Vice President and General Counsel Mallory Duncan in response to Bank of America's announcement that it has dropped plans to impose a $5 monthly fee on debit card users.

New York City, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Seattle top the list of the strongest retail real estate markets, according to Colliers International’s “Third Quarter 2011 North America Retail Highlights” report.

With an early snowstorm, Timberland picked a prime weekend in New York City to stage a new pop-up shop. The shop promoted its new Earthkeepers line of shoes and boots, which contain recycled plastic bottles in the soles.

Thrifty isn't just the spending mantra for shoppers these days. It's also the new marketing plan for a growing number of retailers. As the recession squeezed the middle class, many people shifted their preference for buying name-brand goods at the local grocery or department store to seeking cheaper brands, store-brand goods or discount prices.

With national retail sales expected to increase only slightly throughout the entire holiday season, just 10 days will make or break the period for retailers, according to ShopperTrak. The week before Christmas will be especially important this year, as five of the top sales and foot traffic days will occur between Dec. 18 and Dec. 24.

Basketball shoe marketers such as Adidas, Nike and Foot Locker could lose up to $500 million in sales if the 2011-2012 NBA season is wiped out, says Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at the worldwide market research company NPD Group. That's roughly 25 percent of the $2 billion basketball sneaker market, Cohen said.

For decades, retailers have been actively targeting women of all sorts: girls, teenagers, mothers, working women — you name it. A look around the retail blogosphere in recent weeks however reveals that a shift appears to be taking place. Retailers are making a concerted effort to reach out to men.