Macy's

Macy's took its legal battle over its agreement to exclusively sell certain Martha Stewart items directly to J.C. Penney on Thursday, accusing the rival department store chain of interfering with its contract with the home goods designer. Macy's already successfully persuaded a New York state judge to temporarily block plans for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia to sell its products at J.C. Penney stores in a lawsuit against Martha Stewart. 

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia filed a notice of appeal in a lawsuit by Macy's in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, Bloomberg reported. Macy’s sued Martha Stewart Living in January to stop the company from executing a sales agreement that it announced in December with J.C. Penney. Macy’s said it had the exclusive right to sell Martha Stewart-branded products in certain categories. Last month, a judge in Manhattan granted Macy’s a preliminary injunction blocking Martha Stewart Living from taking any further steps under its deal with J.C. Penney. 

A state judge on Friday temporarily blocked plans by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia to sell certain branded products at J.C. Penney stores. The preliminary injunction was a win for Macy's, which has sued Martha Stewart Living claiming it has exclusive rights to sell certain Martha Stewart products including soft furnishings, dinnerware and cookware.

Macy's will start selling some of its private brand merchandise directly to shoppers in China through a deal with an online retailer there. Macy's products will be available via a branded section on Omei.com, a newly established China-based online retailer of in-season luxury and fashion brands operated by VIPStore Co., a Chinese e-commerce firm and parent company of Omei.com. In addition, Macy’s has made an equity investment of $15 million in VIPStore. Macy’s joins other venture capital providers, including Intel Capital, in acquiring a minority stake in the company. 

Macy's reported a significant increase in sales for the first quarter, thanks to a strong performance in its online business. The company reported that total sales for the quarter increased 4.3 percent to $6.1 billion. Online sales for the quarter increased 33.7 percent and contributed 1.5 percentage points to the company's same-store sales increase of 4.4 percent for the period. Macy's reported an earnings increase of 43 percent to 43 cents per diluted share, compared with 30 cents per diluted share in the same period last year. 

Macy's will soon have a Brazilian feel when the company debuts "O Mercado, the Market at Macy's" on April 22 in about 300 stores and online at Macys.com. The company describes O Mercado as a curated shop of Brazilian products, and it's the next installation of the retailer's "Brasil: A Magical Journey" campaign, which will officially kick off on May 16. "Brazil's burgeoning international appeal and enchanting culture inspired us to create a unique shopping environment that will bring even more newness, color and excitement to our stores," said Martine Reardon, Macy's chief marketing officer.

The success of its online sales is inspiring Macy's Chief Executive Terry Lundgren to make some changes to the in-store shopping experience, according to a story from Reuters. Macy's hopes to make customers feel as comfortable and ready to buy in-store as they do online. Some ideas include in-store kiosks that allows customers to see reviews and pay on the spot. Another idea is an electronic concierge in the cosmetics section to recommend skin care products. A few Macy's locations are already testing Beauty Spot kiosks with more appearing in other locations in the coming years, Lundgren said.

Terry Lundgren, Macy's chairman, president and CEO, offers insight into retail trends and his company's business strategy. He also comments on the challenges faced by Ron Johnson, CEO of J.C. Penney.

Baby boomers aren't spending as much as they used to on discretionary items as they focus their dollars on generally more necessary spending. Because of that, retailers are doing what two of our nation's most famous boomers, Woodward and Bernstein, told us all to do: Follow the money.

The judges on upcoming NBC show "Fashion Star" aren't designers, but representatives of three major retail chains: H&M, Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue. In each episode they'll bid on their favorite pieces of men's and women's wear, and the winning store will begin selling the clothing after the final credits roll.