Macy's

It may seem like summer just got here, but for the nation's largest retailers, the fierce fight for back-to-school (BTS) bucks is already on. J.C. Penney has announced a new marketing campaign aimed at sparking self-expression in teenagers’ wardrobes. Macy's, too, is beating the drum for its apparel, including a fashion link with Teen Vogue. And Sears has just announced its new Seventeen magazine clothing line, rolling out in stores and online. 

J.C. Penney appealed a New York state court ruling Monday that found it had interfered with a contract between Macy's and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia by selling the celebrity's home goods, according to a filing. J.C. Penney's lawyer Martin Edel confirmed the case had been appealed but declined to comment. Retail spokesmen at each company weren't immediately available for comment. Macy's sued J.C. Penney in 2012 for breaching a deal that guaranteed exclusive rights to sell cookware, bedding and bath products from Martha Stewart Living.

A New York State Supreme Court judge ruled in favor of Macy's claim that J.C. Penney interfered with a merchandising contract with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia when it cut a deal in 2011 to create a collection of home goods. But the judge, Jeffrey Oing, said Macy's failed to prove that Penney was liable for punitive damages since he says the actions weren't "malicious" or "immoral." Macy's is still entitled to attorney's fees and other monetary damages from Penney related to the selling of products that were designed by Martha Stewart but sold under the JCP Everyday name last year.

In a session at the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition in Chicago yesterday, Kevin Gardiner, Macy's director of retail services, discussed the company's ship-from-store program, including its challenges, how success is measured, why data is integral to the program as well as future innovation opportunities for the retailer. 

Following a sprinkling of ads from brands in other categories, Macy's is the first retailer to roll out Facebook's auto-play video ads within mobile news feeds, Adweek has learned. A rep for the department store giant claimed there were two other merchant brands testing the platform, but didn't disclose names. Macy's ads, which are marked as sponsored, ran on Friday within Facebook's iPhone app at the top of the news feed. They automatically began playing as users scrolled down the screen.

CNBC's Courtney Reagan speaks with Terry Lundgren, Macy's president and CEO, about the future of malls and competition in the retail sector. Lundgren also addresses the promotion of Jeff Gannett.

The appointment of Jeff Gennette as president of Macy's is a giant step in the right direction for the department store industry. Macy's has always been a great merchandising organization and Mr. Gennette continues that legacy. It's through merchandise that the customer experiences Macy's mission to offer value, fashion and service. The future growth of retailing in general, and Macy's in particular, depends on how well an organization merchandises its offering across various channels of distribution.

Here's one way Disney will try to recoup the $950 million it plans to spend buying YouTube network Maker Studios: with web series backed by deep-pocketed marketers. One example arrives Thursday, when Maker will post the first episode of "The Next Style Star," an online reality series listing Macy's as a co-producer. The 10-episode series will pit 16 fashion stylists against each other in a competition for $10,000 judged by fashion aficionados like Whitney Port, originally of MTV's "The Hills," and Made Fashion Week founder Jenne Lombardo. 

Macy's announced on Monday that its chief merchandising officer, Jeffrey Gennette, would become the company's new president, a promotion that may put him next in line to become chief executive. Until Monday, Terry J. Lundgren, Macy's chief executive, held the title of president, as well. "I'm O.K. with going down to three titles," Mr. Lundgren said. "As of yesterday, I was chairman, president, CEO and, most importantly, chief customer officer of the company." Gennette, 52, has held several positions at Macy's in different parts of the country. He's been chief merchandising officer since 2009.

Excitement abounds at Macy's. The company reported total sales of $27.9 billion, comparable store sales grew 2.8 percent (which includes sales from licensed departments), earnings rose 19 percent to $3.86 billion. The stores look terrific. Renovation of the Herald Square store is about 85 percent complete and is brimming with name brand vendors, from Gucci to Vuitton, Burberry to Longchamps, Michael Kors to Coach, Hermes to Tumi and Tom Ford to Bobbi Brown. The store has a new look, with updated departments such as the new shoe floor.