Retail Channel

Changing channels

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Bloomingdale's announcement in May that it would cease publishing its Bloomingdale's By Mail catalog and merge that business into its Internet division had my phone ringing off the hook. Though I had been identified with the Bloomingdale's catalog business in the early '90s, the calls were misplaced: My role at Bloomingdale's had been to manage the direct marketing efforts including direct mail traffic-building

Pottery Barn Goes Big With New Atlanta Store

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:58:00 EDT

Home decor and furnishings cataloger/retailer Pottery Barn plans to open its largest store in the U.S. in Atlanta later this month.

Sharper Image finds a buyer

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Sharper Image Corp., which had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February, has been acquired. A joint venture led by units of private investment firms Hilco Consumer Capital Corp. and Gordon Brothers Group bought the gifts and gadgets merchant in late May. According to reports, the joint venture, which also includes Windsong Brands and Crystal Capital, will pay $49 million plus some contingent

Talbots cuts staff 9%, gets credit

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Women's apparel merchant The Talbots announced in early June it is reducing its corporate headcount by about 9%. The cataloger/retailer expects the layoffs across multiple locations and at all levels to result in estimated annualized cost savings of approximately $14 million. This is part of Talbots' goal to reduce its cost structure by at least $100 million by the end of fiscal 2009. It was clearly

Streicher’s Acquires Arrington Police Distributors

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:31:00 EDT

Streicher’s, a $25 million distributor of public safety and police equipment, has acquired Arrington Police Distributors, a law enforcement supply company serving the mid-Atlantic region