Charlotte, NC-based Belk department store said that Tim Belk, a member of the third generation of the founding Belk family, will retire as CEO this month after serving in that capacity since 2004. He will remain on the company's board after he steps down.

South Korean retail giant Shinsegae is building a mega multi-purpose shopping complex in Hanam as it seeks growth opportunities beyond the traditional department store format.

Called Starfield Hanam, the KRW1trn ($850m) project, spanning 4.9m sq ft, is inspired by the western-style shopping malls with wider spaces on a few levels. It is slated to open this September. The centre is expected to be South Korea's biggest shopping mall, anchored by Shinsegae department store, hypermarket E-Mart Traders, a spa, a swimming pool, a sports zone and a movie theatre.

Shinsegae partnered with US property developer Taubman for the complex, which aims to redefine department stores in South Korea with multi-functioning entertainment venues as e-commerce continues to eat into brick-&-mortar retail.

The BHS sell-off has begun aboard with Qatar's Al Mana Group buying international stores and its online ops.

Macy's is testing a mobile tool called "Macy's On Call" using artificial intelligence that allows in-store shoppers to find where a particular brand is located or what's in stock.

Nordstrom has acquired a minority stake in supply-chain software company DS Co., a cloud-based platform that allows suppliers to drop-ship orders and handle returns for retail partners.

London's busiest shopping location Oxford Street is to be pedestrianised by 2020.

The recent announcement of the retirement of Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren and his replacement by Chief Merchandise Officer Jeff Gennette has triggered much  comment on the state of department stores in general (yet again) and assessments of Lundgren's tenure at the company. Here is one thoughtful comment on Terry Lundgren's legacy which mentions, among other things, his development of the private label business as well as the work Macy's is currently doing to woo millennials.

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Capitalizing on the addictive nature of mobile games, beauty retailer Sephora is unveiling a campaign to advertise its Sephora Collection store brand line on mobile and desktop. The retailer has assembled 1,000 photos of products and swatches for its new "swipe it, shop it" and "beauty uncomplicator" features that help shoppers browse and buy. For "swipe it, shop it," users are presented with a look, and can swipe left or right to shop it or not. "Beauty uncomplicator" asks users three questions to narrow down their search.

A new project to study UK high street footfall data is being undertaken by The Local Data Company (LDC), the University College London and the Consumer Data Research Centre.

Waitrose supermarkets, part of the John Lewis Partnership, is to sell own-label products through British Corner Shop, an online store that delivers to 138 countries. British Corner Shop specialises in selling favourite foods to British expats around the world. Its odd selection including such well-known delicacies as Marmite, custard, and steak & kidney pie, is in demand from UK citizens abroad who miss a quite esoteric range of comfort foods. Its largest markets are the USA and Germany, neither of which Waitrose exports to currently. Waitrose will add 2000 products to the existing online selection.

see press release

In another blow to physical stores, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is planning to launch a demonstration virtual reality store by the end of this month. A large-scale rollout could be introduced by the end of the year. Last week, Alibaba showed how a shopper wearing a Vive VR helmet from HTC Corp. could walk around a digital store. Shoppers wearing the helmet can rotate an item around as if they were picking it up to take a look at it. Shoppers can ask a robotic sales associate how the product works or is worn, then they can click on the "buy" button to make a purchase. The shoppers will need to provide their own VR helmet, which can cost between $20 and $1,000.

South Korea retail giant Lotte will open three standalone speciality stores selling fashion and home furnishings within the year as it looks to expand beyond the traditional department store business. Two fashion stores will open in Seoul under its speciality store brand 'el Cube', while a home décor store will open in the central South Korean city of Sejong by November.

John Lewis department store has announced that it is to open a 2000 sq ft concession selling some 700 products from its own brand range across two floors of department store Arnotts in Dublin, Ireland. Apparently John Lewis has been interested in the Republic for some time but denies any further plans for development in the country.

Hong Kong-based duty-free multibrand retailer T Galleria by DFS is tripling the size of its retail space at the City of Dreams casino and resort in Macau. The revamped retail space will be opened in phases through December and will comprise an area of 173,000 square feet once completed. It will include T Galleria's first dedicated shoe salon, featuring more than 50 footwear brands including exclusive-to-Macau labels like Aquazzura and Rupert Sanderson. DFS, part of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, said it is out to create a "luxurious, contemporary and inviting atmosphere" combining design elements such as glass, marble, steel and warm wood accents.

Imagine a shop where you can buy everything... OK, you've heard of the Internet, but think of an actual real-life shop. Because there's something about a physical store that online shopping just can't replace. And nothing beats a classic department store. In addition to selling stacks of different merchandise and brands, these extravagantly designed stores-within-stores offer something else -- an experience. "Historically the big downtown department stores were almost like city centers," says Jan Whitaker, a department store historian who's penned two books on these emporiums of commerce.

Debenhams of the UK is to generate up to 10% of sales from food, compared to the 3% now. The company, which already has Patisserie Valerie and Chi Kitchen among its in-store partners, will introduce a food offer in another 30 branches this autumn. By Christmas, there will be a new food offer in 40% of its stores. Italian restaurant Franco Manca will start in Lakeside and Westfield. New partners will also appear in other areas: Claire's Accessories will be launched in 15 stores.

Mexico's department store chain Liverpool is to acquire a controlling stake in Chilean peer Ripley Corp for CLP813bn ($1.22bn).

Global sales of personal luxury goods will rise this year but only moderately, with higher spending in Japan and Europe compensating for flat trends in Asia and the United States, an industry report showed.

Nancy Gonzalez will soon expand its footprint — literally. This fall, the exotic accessories label will launch shoes for the first time in its 18-year history. The 250-plus stockkeeping unit line of crocodile pumps, flats and sandals will exclusively launch in November at Bergdorf Goodman and Harrods. Founder Nancy Gonzalez's son, company creative director and president Santiago Barberi Gonzalez — who spearheaded the project — told that, within two years, the label sees shoe sales tallying half its overall business. The label presently sells 79,000 bags per year. The designs — priced from $795 for a sandal to $2,395 for a pump — are "a complete market disruptor," Gonzalez said. According to him, there is no such scope of exotic footwear available on the market, particularly at a stable price.

In an effort to stay relevant, Target is going back to its roots. Born as a discount offshoot of the Dayton-Hudson department store in 1962, the retailer has always had a more fashion-focused approach to the bare bones, utilitarian big-box store.

But with online retailers such as Amazon breathing down its neck, the Minneapolis-based operator has been borrowing more pages from the department store playbook to give customers a reason to visit the store and to keep them coming back. With upscale displays and added service, the retailer honors its department store roots.

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Stella McCartney will present the debut collection alongside her women's resort 2017 collection in London on November 10. The new collection is scheduled to arrive in stores in early December.

UK department store retailer John Lewis has created its first ever luxury womenswear label in a bid to offer its customers "fewer, better pieces".

Finnish retail giant Stockmann is to cut another 380 domestic jobs from this autumn and change its operation structure as part of an ongoing strategy to slash costs and regain profitability, it announced on June 13. Jouko Pitkänen, director of Stockmann Retail and a member of its management team, has accordingly resigned and left immediately.

Philippines retail giant Robinsons said it had set a capital-expenditure budget of PHP5bn ($108.7bn) this year to further expand its store network. Robinsons Retail president Robina Gokongwei-Pe said that the capital expenditure would help build 200 new stores, adding to the 1,506 stores the company had at the end of 2015. The company also plans to build at least one community shopping mall this year, on top of the 10 malls it has. Last year, the company opened 179 stores including supermarkets, department and convenience stores, drugstores and speciality do-it-yourself stores.