Retail Ventures, Inc. announced today sales from continuing operations, which represents sales of DSW Inc. (DSW) only, for the thirteen weeks ended January 30, 2010 increased 15.6% to $402.6 million from $348.2 million for the thirteen weeks ended January 31, 2009. The company's same store sales increased 12.9% for the comparable thirteen week period versus a 7.2% decrease in the prior year.

Sales from continuing operations for the fifty-two weeks ended January 30, 2010 increased 9.5% to $1.60 billion from $1.46 billion for the fifty-two weeks ended January 31, 2009. Same store sales increased 3.2% for the comparable fifty-two week period versus a 5.9% decrease in the prior year.

Retail Ventures, Inc. is a holding company whose subsidiary, DSW, is a leading United States branded footwear specialty retailer operating, as of January 30, 2010, 305 shoe stores in 39 states. DSW also supplies shoes, under supply agreements, to 356 locations and operates dsw.com. On April 21, 2009 Retail Ventures, Inc. sold all of the outstanding capital stock of Filene's Basement, Inc. and certain related entities (Filene's Basement) to an unrelated party. The results of the Filene's Basement operations are excluded from the above results.

Mandee, the fast-fashion retail chain, will take Chicago retail to a new level of excitement with the opening of its 124^th store on Friday, March 12^th, featuring a fashion runway-cum-stage concept store, 6,000 sq. feet of retail space and over 20,000 pieces of the hottest trends. The grand opening at the Harlem Irving Plaza Mall (188) will feature the hugely successful Grammy Nominated LMFAO DJ’s.

“Mandee is very proud to be opening stores and creating jobs in Chicago. We believe fashion and shopping should be fun, affordable and entertaining. The customer is the celebrity.”

Recycled Refinery Consignment Boutique was created to provide the most fashionable, comfortable and quality of gently used to new designer clothing and accessories...without the high price.

Gap Inc. (NYSE:GPS) today reported net sales of $838 million for the four-week period ended February 27, 2010, which represents a 5 percent increase compared with net sales of $795 million for the four-week period ended February 28, 2009. The company’s comparable store sales for February 2010 were up 3 percent compared with a 12 percent decrease in February 2009.

“This demonstrates that our goal to improve the top line is gaining traction.”

Same Store Sales Increase 6%
Reiterates Fourth Quarter EPS Guidance

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) today announced that total sales for the four weeks ended February 27, 2010 increased 6% to $188 million, compared to $177 million for the four weeks ended February 28, 2009. Consolidated comparable store sales increased 6% for the month, compared to a 7% decrease for the same period last year.

The company is reiterating its fourth quarter earnings guidance of $0.32 to $0.33 per diluted share, which excludes potential investment security and store impairment charges. This compares to non-GAAP earnings of $0.19 per diluted share last year, which excluded impairment charges of $0.03 per diluted share related to stores and investment securities.

Tandy Leather Factory, Inc. (AMEX: TLF) announced today that it has opened a new retail store in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. This is the first new store opening in 2010 and brings the number of Tandy Leather retail stores to 76. The new store is located at 210-2750 Faithfull Avenue in Saskatoon and is open for business this week.

Chief Executive Officer, Jon Thompson, commented, “We expect our store openings in 2010 to be limited to one or two stores as we give the economic environments in the US and Canada a little more time to strengthen. Nonetheless, we are looking at locations that have a good chance of being successful even in a weak economy and Saskatchewan is one of those locations. We believe having a local presence will further expand an already growing customer base there. Kazi Shujah will be managing the new store. He trained in our Calgary store and has extensive retail management experience in several industries as well as a strong customer-service background.”

Tandy Leather Factory, Inc., headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a specialty retailer and wholesale distributor of a broad product line including leather, leatherworking tools, buckles and adornments for belts, leather dyes and finishes, saddle and tack hardware, and do-it-yourself kits. The Company distributes its products through its 29 Leather Factory stores, located in 19 states and 3 Canadian provinces, 76 Tandy Leather retail stores, located in 36 states and 6 Canadian provinces, one combination wholesale/retail store located in the United Kingdom, and Mid-Continent Leather Sales, one store located in Oklahoma. Its common stock trades on the American Stock Exchange with the symbol "TLF".

Windows displays are a lot of fun, but they require a lot of planning!  A good display area will have a number of items to allow you install a variety of different concepts.  Here we will discuss some of the practical necessities you will need for installations:

• Solid Walls
• Floor panel if you wish to change the floor coverings
• Ceiling grid for hanging items
• Secure Door
• Lighting Tracks
• Electric Sockets (very important!)
• Window Shades to pull down when working your magic!
• Speakers so you can hear announcements going on in the store
• Fire Sprinklers (obviously)

Stores use windows as a sales and advertising tool.  Whether they are large like a department store or simply small, a well dressed window display not only attracts shoppers but also enforces the retailer’s image.  This is the one marketing tool you don’t have to pay extra for, because they are a part of the store’s architecture.

StyleMouse's use of new technology enables consumers to make online purchases and retrieve product information with the click of a mouse while watching fashion videos

Through the immediacy of the “Information Age,” including the immediacy of email/the computer era, DVR capability, online shopping, and beyond, today's consumers have certainly adapted shorter attention spans. This fast-paced lifestyle coupled with shorter attention spans has made traditional advertising less effective than in years past. Today's consumers are bombarded with countless messages and advertisements via traditional methods such as television and magazines, but online advertising has created just another venue for more messages to reach the already busy consumer/computer user.

StyleMouse

Store design is what unites all aspects of visual merchandising.   Before a visual merchandiser can work their magic with displays the design of the store should have at least already conveyed the message of what kind of store it is.

Everything comes into play with Store Design:  windows/interior design/fixtures/lighting

Depending on the size of your store and who you work for; the visual merchandising manager (sometimes the creative director) will work with the architect and interior designer to come up with a design scheme for the store’s image.  It is vitally important the architect has input on the visual merchandiser’s needs and requirements before a store design plan is formulated.

Seattle-based Nordstrom, Inc. plans to open its first Nordstrom Rack in Charlotte, N.C., the company announced today. The 43,000-square-foot store will be located at the Carolina Pavilion shopping center and is scheduled to open in spring 2011.

The store is the second Nordstrom Rack planned for North Carolina, joining the Renaissance Center Nordstrom Rack scheduled to open September 2, 2010 in Durham, N.C. The state is also home to two Nordstrom Full-line stores--the Nordstrom South Park store in Charlotte, N.C. and the Nordstrom at The Streets at Southpoint store in Durham, N.C.

Golfsmith International Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOLF) today announced two additional new store locations for 2010 which completes the company’s new store leasing objectives for 2010. Adding to the previously announced new stores in Naples, Florida and Overland Park, Kansas, Golfsmith has executed leases for Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Brea, California (in the greater Los Angeles area).

“StyleMouse,” the new interactive Fashion/Lifestyle web series, is looking for Startup companies that have been in business for six months or less. If your company fits the bill and is in need of exposure and a helping hand to drive traffic to your new business, then “StyleMouse” wants to hear from you!

We can set up an episode featuring your young business and help to catapult it to millions of Internet viewers through our distribution network of blogs and websites. Your product or service will be placed actually within the body of the web show and is interactive and “clickable,” for viewers to either find out more or even purchase your product right then and there through your “Add to Cart.”

“StyleMouse” provides so much more than banner ads and “pop-ups” and it’s completely non-intrusive to the viewer, (extremely important these days.) The viewer is in total control and chooses to “click” on an item, only when they’re already interested and engaged.

Have your startup business become a household name in the “StyleMouse” universe and spread throughout the Internet.

The business model is a simple CPM arrangement so you don’t pay until you see results!

Learn more about what StyleMouse Fashion Videos can do for you.

Learn more about StyleMouse.

If you have an interest in StyleMouse, you are welcome to join the StyleMouse Group here on the Fashion Industry Network.

Dots Launches Product Tracking Technology

The national women's retailer's Web site offers interactive merchandising

Dots, the national fashion specialty apparel retailer, will bring interactive merchandising technology to its Web site, http://www.dots.com. The fashion-forward site will allow customers to track fashions, search for product availability and be notified when the merchandise arrives at a nearby store.

Sarkissian Mason Adds Sophisticated, Glossy Front-End To Zappos' Launch Of New High-Fashion Hangout Couture.Zappos.Com

If you enjoyed shopping for shoes at Zappos, you are really going to like the new Couture Zappos.
       
To successfully deliver the ultimate in premium fashion, Zappos took its proven business model and unparalleled ecommerce back-end technology and asked agency Sarkissian Mason--well-known for delivering uber-classy pagefront magic and seamless online shopping experiences--to develop its sleek and beautiful new brand Couture.Zappos.Com.

 

Macy’s, Inc. January 2010 Same-Store Sales up 3.4%

Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE:M) today reported total sales of $1.255 billion for the four weeks ended Jan. 30, 2010, an increase of 3.4 percent compared with total sales of $1.213 billion in the four weeks ended Jan. 31, 2009. On a same-store basis, Macy’s, Inc. sales were also up 3.4 percent in January.

“Now that we have implemented fundamental changes to Macy’s operating and organization structure in 2009, we are moving into 2010 firmly focused on the execution of our strategies.”

For the 13-week fourth quarter of fiscal 2009, Macy’s, Inc.’s sales totaled $7.851 billion, down 1.0 percent from total sales of $7.934 billion for the final 13 weeks of 2008. On a same-store basis, the company’s fourth quarter sales were down 0.8 percent. This is better than the company’s guidance for fourth quarter sales to be down between 1 percent and 2 percent.

Online "private sale" website has attracted over 600,000 members in first nine months of operation

Beyond the Rack today announced that it recently closed a $2 million (USD) investment round that included well-known European Internet entrepreneurs Oleg Tscheltzoff and Oliver Jung, as well as Montreal-based venture fund Montreal Start Up. This investment is in addition to the $2.5 million (USD) of previous funding the company has received.