WTI expects that retail June 2013 will be similar in temperature to last year for the U.S. as a whole. Warmer temperature trends on the East and West Coasts will offset cooler year-over-year trends in the nation’s mid-section. Warmer year-over-year trends will be prominent during the first half of the retail month, with colder year-over-year trends during the latter part of the month.

HSN has partnered with HGTV to launch HGTV Home Outdoor Living, only at HSN. Launching across HSN and HGTV's multiple platforms on March 19, HGTV Home Outdoor Living will redefine the outdoor living retail landscape with top HGTV experts appearing on HSN, including Designer John Gidding, star of Curb Appeal.

Kim, Kourtney and Khloé Kardashian’s eyewear line available through Sears Optical is now available online as well as in stores.

Walmart observed its 50th anniversary in fine fashion this week as its share price hit an all-time high, even as the company faced familiar charges from vocal critics.

When Tom Hanks danced across FAO Schwarz's giant piano in the movie "Big," it established the store's iconic status. Now celebrating its 150th anniversary, FAO Schwarz honor its legacy with in-store events, commemorative product offerings, a showcase of brand archives and an enhanced website that together will present the brand’s storied history.

The popular television talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres said she was “proud and happy” that JCPenney remained committed to her after One Million Moms asked the retailer to dump her as a spokesperson because she is gay.

A New York state Supreme Court filing on Monday disclosed that Macy’s Inc. is suing Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. for breach of contract after Martha Stewart set up a new deal last December with JCPenney to sell products at its stores.

HSN announced that it will offer an exclusive collection of home decor from award-winning architectural and interior designer and design television host Vern Yip.

HSN announced that Jennifer Lopez will launch her new fragrance Love & Light exclusively on HSN on July 2.

Mike Duke presented at the Barclay’s conference Tuesday, and, as we predicted in last week’s WNN, he did not speak about first-quarter sales, which the company will report on May 17. Instead Duke focused on such broad goals as growth, leverage, but offered little detail on how the company plans to achieve them.

According to Duke, a main priority for Walmart is growth, particularly at its U.S. stores. This is not surprising since the company has been reporting negative comps for its Walmart U.S. business for the past few quarters. In order to achieve positive comps, Duke said, stores need to offer the right assortment.

Coty has announced the launch of the new fragrance Reveal by Halle Berry.