Content about Department store

May 7, 2013

Jim von Maur

President, Von Maur

HEADQUARTERS Davenport, Iowa

TYPE OF BUSINESS Department store retailer

NUMBER OF STORES 35 in 11 states (27 Von Maur stores, eight Dry Goods stores)

Seventeen years ago, in the January 1996 issue of Chain Store Age, Jack Arth, who at the time was president of Von Maur, explained how the circa 1928 department store retailer set out to differentiate itself from competitors such as the then hugely influential Federated and May chains.

May 7, 2013

I visited my first Von Maur store in 1999, a decade after I relocated from southern boomtown Atlanta to Lincoln, Neb., a sleepy college town that only really wakes up on Husker football Saturdays. Today I am back home in Baton Rouge, La., still no bustling metropolis, but the food and football trump.

May 7, 2013

Von Maur got its start like many of its department store peers: An immigrant with an American dream opened a downtown store, customers came, they shopped, the brand took hold and took off.

In the case of the midwestern upscale department store banner Von Maur, the dreamer was German immigrant J.H.C. Petersen, who opened a downtown storefront in Davenport, Iowa, in 1872. He and his sons grew the business and sold it nearly a half-century later to a partnership that included two Austrian brothers — C.J. and Cable von Maur, whose family gained full ownership by 1937.

May 2, 2013

Von Maur got its start like many of its department store peers: An immigrant with an American dream opened a downtown store, customers came, they shopped, the brand took hold and took off.

In the case of the midwestern upscale department store banner Von Maur, the dreamer was German immigrant J.H.C. Petersen, who opened a downtown storefront in Davenport, Iowa, in 1872. He and his sons grew the business and sold it nearly a half-century later to a partnership that included two Austrian brothers -- C.J. and Cable von Maur, whose family gained full ownership by 1937.

April 25, 2013

First quarter online shopping in 2013 grew more than 20% over the same period last year, and more than five times in-store sales growth, helping drive up department store and home goods purchases, according to the IBM Online Retail Index.

Armond, N.Y. -- First quarter online shopping in 2013 grew more than 20% over the same period last year, and more than five times in-store sales growth, helping drive up department store and home goods purchases, according to the IBM Online Retail Index.  
 
The IBM Index comes on the heels of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Census Bureau report which announced in-store sales for the January through March 2013 period were up 3.7%.

The IBM Online Retail Index also found:

April 8, 2013

Nordstrom said it will open a new namesake department store in Toronto in fall 2016, making its foray into the country a two-store debut.

Seattle -- Nordstrom said Monday it will open a new namesake department store in Toronto in fall 2016, making its foray into the country a two-store debut.

The three-story, 188,000-sq.-ft. store planned for Toronto's Yorkdale Shopping Centre will join a previously announced, smaller store in the city's Sherway Gardens mall.

April 5, 2013

Century 21 Department Store will unveil its expanded flagship location in downtown Manhattan on April 9.

New York -- Century 21 Department Store will unveil its expanded flagship location in downtown Manhattan on April 9. The retailer has added three new selling floors, for a total of six floors and over 225,000 sq. ft. of shopping.

April 5, 2013

Century 21 Department Store will unveil its expanded flagship location in downtown Manhattan on April 9.

New York -- Century 21 Department Store will unveil its expanded flagship location in downtown Manhattan on April 9. The retailer has added three new selling floors, for a total of six floors and over 225,000 sq. ft. of shopping.

March 6, 2013

Nordstrom is the nation’s favorite fashion retail chain, according to an annual consumer study conducted by customer intelligence solutions provider Market Force Information.

Boulder, Col. -- Nordstrom is the nation’s favorite fashion retail chain, according to an annual consumer study conducted by customer intelligence solutions provider Market Force Information. The upscale department store edged out Kohl’s, which had ranked first in the three previous studies. This year, Kohl’s moved to the No. 2 spot overall, followed by Macy’s, Dillard’s and J.C. Penney.
 

February 27, 2013

Von Maur Department Stores announced it has signed a contract to open a 150,000-sq.-ft. store at the GGP-owned Quail Springs Mall in Oklahoma City in fall 2014.

Davenport, Iowa -- Von Maur Department Stores announced Wednesday it has signed a contract to open a 150,000-sq.-ft. store at the GGP-owned Quail Springs Mall in Oklahoma City in fall 2014.

The store will be the company's first location in Oklahoma.

February 19, 2013

Verifone Systems said that it has secured a deal with French department store chain Galeries Lafayette to handle its payment solutions and services over a five-year contract period.

San Jose, Calif. -- Verifone Systems said Tuesday that it has secured a deal with French department store chain Galeries Lafayette to handle its payment solutions and services over a five-year contract period.

The agreement includes managed services, software, helpdesk and 3,200 of VeriFone’s VX 820 advanced PIN acceptance devices that support credit, debit and EMV transactions, and include integrated NFC/contactless technology for alternative payments.

February 19, 2013

Simons, Canada’s eclectic and fashion-forward department store retailer, received top honors in Chain Store Age’s 31st annual Retail Store of the Year design competition.

New York -- Simons, Canada’s eclectic and fashion-forward department store retailer, received top honors in Chain Store Age’s 31st annual Retail Store of the Year design competition. The company’s 118,000-sq.-ft. store in West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton, Canada, was named Store of the Year. Designed by figure3, Toronto, Simons also was the winning entry in the department store category.

February 7, 2013

Department store retailers reported strong sales in January as shoppers responded positively to post-holiday clearance events.

New York -- Department store retailers reported strong sales in January as shoppers responded positively to post-holiday clearance events.  

Overall, the 20 retailers reporting January comps saw an average rise of 5.1%, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers, which beat the mall trade group’s 3% forecasted rise.

January 31, 2013

John Lewis department stores said Thursday it has appointed Mark Lewis as online director for the chain, effective March 4.

London -- John Lewis department stores said Thursday it has appointed Mark Lewis as online director for the chain, effective March 4.
 
Lewis was previously CEO of Collect+, and also spent six years at eBay in roles including U.K. managing director and European marketplaces director.

 

January 23, 2013

Kohl’s Department Stores has selected Oracle Retail Merchandising, Planning and Supply Chain solutions to seamlessly integrate core retail operations across the company’s 1,146 stores nationwide.

Redwood Shores, Calif. -- Kohl’s Department Stores has selected Oracle Retail Merchandising, Planning and Supply Chain solutions to seamlessly integrate core retail operations across the company’s 1,146 stores nationwide. The solutions will provide Kohl’s with an integrated, scalable retail suite of applications to streamline merchandising and planning while enabling its multi-channel growth strategy.

January 21, 2013

New York -- Macy’s January announcement that it would close some stores in 2013 seems to have generated a disproportionate amount of scrutiny. Is it business as usual for the department store retailer, or is the news representative of something more far-reaching?  

Click here for our exclusive coverage.

 

January 3, 2013

As cash-strapped consumers curtailed holiday spending, department store retailers felt the pinch and some performed better than others in an uncertain environment.

New York -- As cash-strapped consumers curtailed holiday spending, department store retailers felt the pinch and some performed better than others in an uncertain environment. The strongest performances were turned in by Macy’s and Nordstrom, both topping estimates.

Overall, analysts looked for 3.3% same-store sales growth for December across 17 chains, down from 4.2% growth in December 2011, according to Thomson Reuters.
     

January 2, 2013

The weekend before Christmas ranked as the busiest shopping period in December by in-store visits to top retailers, with Super Saturday ranking among the three busiest shopping days for Walmart, Target, Toys ‘R’ Us, Macy’s and Kohl’s, according to Placed.

Seattle -- The weekend before Christmas ranked as the busiest shopping period in December by in-store visits to top retailers, with Super Saturday ranking among the three busiest shopping days for Walmart, Target, Toys ‘R’ Us, Macy’s and Kohl’s, according to Placed.

November 27, 2012

Jeff Gordman is following in the family tradition. As president, chairman and CEO of Gordmans, he leads a company whose roots go back nearly 100 years, to when his grandfather opened a store in downtown Omaha in 1915.

From that one store, the company evolved over the years, eventually expanding beyond Nebraska. It also added a discount division, Half Price Stores. By 1990 the company had 32 stores, equally divided between the two divisions.

November 8, 2012

Department store chain Von Maur said that it has opened a 4,000-sq.-ft. Dry Goods store at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines, Iowa – the specialty retailer’s first location in the state and its eighth overall.

Davenport, Iowa -- Department store chain Von Maur said Thursday that it has opened a 4,000-sq.-ft. Dry Goods store at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines, Iowa – the specialty retailer’s first location in the state and its eighth overall.

The concept, which centers around contemporary women's clothing and accessories, is strategically growing; the plan, said the company, is to have a nationwide presence. It recently launched its online business at Drygoodsusa.com.

November 8, 2012

Department store chain Von Maur said that it has opened a 4,000-sq.-ft. Dry Goods store at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines, Iowa – the specialty retailer’s first location in the state and its eighth overall.

Davenport, Iowa -- Department store chain Von Maur said Thursday that it has opened a 4,000-sq.-ft. Dry Goods store at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines, Iowa – the specialty retailer’s first location in the state and its eighth overall.

The concept, which centers around contemporary women's clothing and accessories, is strategically growing; the plan, said the company, is to have a nationwide presence. It recently launched its online business at Drygoodsusa.com.

November 1, 2012

As the holidays approach and retailers are still recovering from Hurricane Sandy, October same-store sales results showcased consistent strength in the department store category.

New York -- As the holidays approach and retailers are still recovering from Hurricane Sandy, October same-store sales results showcased consistent strength in the department store category.

Nordstrom led the pack with a 9.8% rise in same-store sales for the month, and Macy’s Inc. had a solid showing as well.

October 31, 2012

By Peter Burgoyne, CBX

By Peter Burgoyne, peterb@cbx.com

October 31, 2012

Regional department store retailer Von Maur has implemented the Oracle Retail Merchandising System suite of applications to support same-store revenue growth, as well as its scheduled expansion into new markets, such as Atlanta, Milwaukee, Victor, N.Y., and Hoover, Ala.

Redwood Shores, Calif. -- Regional department store retailer Von Maur has implemented the Oracle Retail Merchandising System suite of applications to support same-store revenue growth, as well as its scheduled expansion into new markets, such as Atlanta, Milwaukee, Victor, N.Y., and Hoover, Ala.