J.C. Penney Co Inc said on Monday that it had drawn $850 million out of a $1.85 billion revolving credit facility to help buy inventory as it plots its course after a failed turnaround.

The Italian brand kicks off its retail activity in China with licensee Electric Sekki, which has just opened a flagship store in the Hong Kong’s 700-square-meter shopping center, complete with a super-sized Superga installation.

Swiss company Dosenbach-Ochsner, a subsidiary of German footwear retail giant Deichmann, has licensed the distribution of Fila shoes to Footwear International Distribution, a subsidiary of USG Brands. This agreement covers continental Europe with the exception of Ukraine and Russia.

Andy Sackmann, who started at the company in June 2011, has been promoted to chief marketing officer of Crocs.

Zalando is moving offline in Italy in a bid to bridge the gap between traditional retailing and e-commerce, opening a pop-up store in Milan between 9 and 14 April.

The Italian footwear industry reported a decline of 1.4% in value and 4.1% in volume in 2012 according to estimations made by the National Association of Italian Footwear Manufacturers (ANCI).

The footwear website is entering the ready-to-wear market, offering 6,000 items from the spring-summer 2013 collections of some one hundred brands.

The Milan footwear tradeshow recorded a decrease in visitors in comparison to last year, with 35,389 attendees in total. International buyer presence, however, was on the up.

J.C. Penney chief Ron Johnson knew before doing a deal with Martha Stewart that it would create a conflict with rival Macy's, which already had a relationship with her.

Crocs has closed finished 2012 with a 12% increase in revenue to 842 million euros despite a small decline in the European market.

Department store chains Macy's and Saks both beat holiday quarter profit estimates and on Tuesday said sales at established stores were expected to rise in 2013, as they invest in online technology.

Hot on the heels of Spain, Ireland’s Retail Excellence Ireland is the latest to join E-Commerce Europe, an umbrella organization for online retailing.

Shoe designer Georges Esquivel is the new artistic director at American luggage brand Tumi. He replaces David Chu who left the post in 2009.

Iconix Brand Group Inc, known for its apparel labels such as Candie's and Starter, acquired control of the Buffalo David Bitton brand to expand into higher-end brands.

Gene McCarthy, senior vice president of footwear for U.S. group Under Armour, is resigning. Kip Fulks will take over footwear while continuing to handle operations.