The Scandinavian nation of Norway is best known for its dramatic fjords, thriving oil industry and some really cold winter weather. Oslo-based fashion label Moods of Norway wants to add a light, zany sense of humor to the forefront of its nation’s brand. So Moods built a comedy version of the more»

A Q&A with retail consultant and author George Whalin Independent retailers don’t need a business plan or even a lot of experience to thrive in a tough economy, according to veteran retail consultant George Whalin. What they need is to engage a fickle public with exclusive, unique product. more»

Tous is a retailer on the move. On June 8, the Spanish accessories manufacturer and retailer opened a 550-square-foot boutique at the Westfield Century City mall in Los Angeles’ Century City neighborhood. It is Tous’ sixth American store, said Jose Luis Manglano, chief executive of the more»

Maybe the worst part of the recession is over. At least, that’s the word from a few economic indicators recently released that found consumers are showing more faith in the economy and intend to increase spending. Overall, retail sales increased 1.6 percent the week ending June 27, according to more»

The proposed merger between the United States’ two biggest trade organizations for retailers is off. National Retail Federation and Retail Industry Leaders Association announced June 24 that the boards of the two groups had mutually agreed to stop merger talks. The end of the proposed merger also more»

A major facelift and new store debuts were announced at the Fashion Island retail center Thursday. An ornate, giant fountain will be central to the new look at the Newport Beach, Calif., luxury center, which is owned by the Irvine Co. The renovations will be finished by late 2011 and cost more than $100 more»

Attorneys for retailer Express filed a suit on June 23 against fast-fashion giant Forever 21 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles for unspecified damages. Express alleges Forever 21 broke copyright and trade-dress laws by selling exact copies of four men’s shorts and a track jacket designed by more»

The bankrupt Mira Loma, Calif.–based Active Ride Shop has been acquired by a Florida-based investor group for $5.2 million in an auction ordered by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Riverside, Calif. The identities of the parties who formed the investor group were not made public. “We are very more»

Crimes against retailers are increasing, and they are costing the economy billions of dollars, said criminologist Dr. Richard Hollinger, who spoke at the National Retail Federation’s Loss Prevention Conference & Expo, held June 15–17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Total retail losses more»

Mall-based surf/skate retailer Pacific Sunwear of California announced that current Chief Executive Sally Frame Kasaks will step down June 29 and be immediately succeeded by Gary Schoenfeld, former president and chief executive of Vans and Global Brands Group. Kasaks has served as the Anaheim, more»

Some of Los Angeles’ top retail neighborhoods have suffered store closings this year, yet stores also have opened on these thoroughfares during this tough time. California Apparel News recently talked to the merchant associations and retailers of a few key streets to ask why their street will more»

Call it signs of life after the deep freeze. Many retailers said business came to a standstill during the 2008 holiday season, when shoppers drastically curtailed spending and many shop owners called it quits. But six months after a Christmas where overall sales declined 1.7 percent, a handful of more»

St. Louis–based Brown Shoe Company Inc. has opened a 350,000-square-foot distribution center in Tejon Ranch, Calif., where all inbound and outbound shipments for the company’s Famous Footwear division will take place. The distribution center is located in the Tejon Industrial Complex, a more»

A spokesperson for Los Angeles retailer Forever 21 said the company plans to proceed with a plan to develop a controversial swatch of land near downtown Los Angeles into a facility to handle its e-commerce business. The company is working with developer Ralph Horowitz, who is seeking entitlements from more»

Forever 21 is expanding its dream to become a big department-store chain by acquiring several leases and stores vacated by bankrupt retailer Gottschalks. On June 10, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge in Delaware cleared the way for fast-fashion retailer Forever 21 in Los Angeles to buy or take over the more»

By mid-fall there will be new guidelines to make retail buildings ecologically friendly. The Washington D.C.–based nonprofit U.S. Green Business Council is scheduled to release its “LEED for Retail” guidelines in August, said Nick Shaffer, manager for commercial real estate for USGBC. more»

Elaine Kim, the Los Angeles–based designer behind the contemporary brand Product, has re-emerged with a new eponymous line. Kim sold the Product line in 2000, and after an eight-year hiatus from the fashion industry, she returned in 2008 with a high-end collection called Elaine Kim. Along with the more»

With gasoline prices creeping up six weeks in a row, retail experts are fretting that consumers will start feeling financially drained and put lockboxes on their wallets when buying clothes. “It is just one more finger in consumers’ pockets pulling out discretionary income,” said Ken more»