NRF: BACK-TO-SCHOOL AND COLLEGE SPENDING TO REACH $75.8 BILLION

With back-to-school spending on a “stock up” cycle rather than a “make do” cycle, the average family is expected to spend more freely on school and college supplies this year, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights and Analytics, which surveyed 6,809 consumers about both …

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ROSS TO ADD 90 STORES

Discounters continue to expand. Ross Stores just announced it will be opening of 24 Ross Dress for Less® (“Ross”) and seven dd’s DISCOUNTS® stores across 15 different states in June and July. These new locations are part of the Company’s 2016 expansion plans to add approximately 70 Ross and 20 …

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THE DONEGER GROUP APPOINTS STUART GOLDBLATT FOR NEW SVP POSITION

Fashion and retail consulting company The Doneger Group recently appointed Stuart Goldblatt to the newly created position of Senior Vice President for Business Development. Through this position, Goldblatt will be working with the group’s senior executives in developing strategies for the company’s growth. He will be directly reporting to Abbey …

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MACY’S LAUNCHES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MOBILE TOOL

Macy’s is going into Artificial Intelligence, or AI, with its new “Macy’s On Call” pilot. This mobile web tool allows customers to interact with an AI-powered platform via their mobile devices. The pilot will be tested in 10 locations nationwide. “Macy’s On Call” taps IBM Watson’s “cognitive computing,” via Satisfi, an …

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RETAILER INTERVIEWS: JOAN SHEPP

The August shows are right around the corner, so in the weeks leading up to AccessoriesTheShow and AccessorieCircuit, Accessories Magazine will be chatting with retailers about business and fashion/accessories opportunities. Joan Shepp is a 9,000 squar…