Kaarin Vembar

Washington, D.C.

Senior Editor at Retail Dive

Retail editor. Opinions & dumb puns=mine.

Articles

Ross names new CEO

Oct 29, 2024 | retaildive.com | Kaarin Vembar

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Ross Stores on Monday announced the appointment of James Conroy as its next chief executive officer. He will join the company on Dec. 2 and take over the top position on Feb. 2, when current CEO Barbara Rentler will move into an advisory position. Rentler will continue “to play an important role” in merchandising strategies with the company through March 31, 2027, according to a company press release.
Peloton, Costco partner for the holidays

Oct 23, 2024 | retaildive.com | Kaarin Vembar

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Peloton and Costco have partnered to at 300 of the club retailer’s U.S. stores and on its website this holiday season. Costco members will be able to purchase an exclusive Bike+ bundle from Nov. 1 through Feb. 15, or while supplies last, according to a Peloton press release. It is the first seasonal retail collaboration in the U.S. for the exercise equipment company.
Let the ghoul times roll: Why retailers love Halloween

Oct 21, 2024 | retaildive.com | Kaarin Vembar

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Halloween is big business. Spirit Halloween, for example, has grown into such an annual retail phenomenon that it recently received the ultimate pop culture high-five: a sketch on “Saturday Night Live.” “We don’t see a dead end town. We don’t see an abandoned Kmart. We see a spirit, a Spirit Halloween,” the fake SNL ad states.
Spirit Halloween tests Christmas stores

Oct 9, 2024 | retaildive.com | Kaarin Vembar

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Spirit Halloween is ready to exchange goblins for elves this upcoming holiday season. The specialty retailer is testing 10 Spirit Christmas locations as a new store concept in the Northeast this fall. Shoppers can expect holiday apparel, gifts, decor, stocking stuffers and “all the special trimmings for creating an unforgettable Christmas,” according to the company.
Spirit Halloween tests Christmas stores

Oct 8, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com | Kaarin Vembar

This story was originally published on Retail Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Retail Dive newsletter. Spirit Halloween is ready to exchange goblins for elves this upcoming holiday season. The specialty retailer is testing 10 Spirit Christmas locations as a new store concept in the Northeast this fall.
Bath & Body Works teams up with ‘Emily in Paris’ for the holidays

Oct 3, 2024 | retaildive.com | Kaarin Vembar

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Bath & Body Works on Monday announced a partnership with Paramount Consumer Products for a limited-edition collection based on the Netflix series “Emily in Paris.” The holiday collection features over 50 products including fragrance mists, body washes, body creams, candles and soaps, among other items that evoke moments from the show, per a company announcement. The collection launches in November in stores and online.
Bath & Body Works teams up with ‘Emily in Paris’ for the holidays

Oct 2, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com | Kaarin Vembar

In just a shade over a month, on Nov. 5, voters will head to the polls or mail in their ballots to determine who'll lead our country for the next four years. Though not everything that happens in Washington, D.C., has bearing on Wall Street, the economic policies put into place by the incoming president and Congress do help shape the landscape for corporate America, and will, ultimately, have some level of impact on the stock market.
Ross switches up its merchandising leadership team

Sep 13, 2024 | retaildive.com | Kaarin Vembar

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Ross on Tuesday announced the promotions of two senior executives on its merchandising team. The changes are effective on Dec. 1 and both roles will report to CEO Barbara Rentler, according to a company press release. Karen Fleming is being promoted to chief merchandising officer for Ross Dress for Less. She is currently the chief merchant of DD’s Discounts.
The big switch: Why Shoe Carnival is flipping some of its stores into Shoe Stations

Sep 11, 2024 | retaildive.com | Kaarin Vembar

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Shoe Carnival is switching things up. The company has been engaging in tests of replacing some of its namesake stores with one of its other banners, Shoe Station. The shoe retailer went into the experiment by defining success as 3% to 5% annual sales growth. That is approximately the breakeven point for the investment required to close an existing Shoe Carnival store and open a new Shoe Station store in the market.
The big switch: Why Shoe Carnival is flipping some of its stores into Shoe Stations

Sep 10, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com | Kaarin Vembar

Shoe Carnival is switching things up. The company has been engaging in tests of replacing some of its namesake stores with one of its other banners, Shoe Station. The shoe retailer went into the experiment by defining success as 3% to 5% annual sales growth. That is approximately the breakeven point for the investment required to close an existing Shoe Carnival store and open a new Shoe Station store in the market.