On October 28, 2026, it was reported, top 100 retailer Exclusive Furniture will celebrate the grand reopening of its Almeda location on Nov. 7, the return of the store after it was damaged during Hurricane Beryl in 2024. The Houston-based retailer opened its first location there in 1998. The 30,000-square-foot store is located at 12200 Gulf Freeway. The showroom will feature living room and bedroom collections, dining furniture, reclining furniture, home accents and coordinated room displays. Customers will be able to explore styles and price points that reflect the selection available throughout Exclusive Furniture's Houston-area stores. The reopened Almeda location will feature a dedicated mattress department, bringing Exclusive Furniture's "Where Better Sleep Begins" message to the community. Exclusive Furniture carries brands including Tempur-Pedic, Stearns & Foster, Beautyrest, Serta, Sealy and Bedgear, offering options across a range of comfort preferences and budgets in mattresses, adjustable bases and sleep accessories, with personalized guidance from our trained sleep specialists. Alongside its merchandise selection, Exclusive Furniture will offer financing and payment options designed to serve customers across a range of budgets and credit backgrounds, subject to applicable approval requirements and terms. The Almeda reopening reflects Exclusive Furniture's confidence in the Houston market and its long-term commitment to the communities it serves. Even as households navigate financial pressures and retailers face a challenging business environment, the company remains focused on value, service and opportunities for continued expansion.
On October 27, 2026, it was reported, Kohl's turnaround has been dragging on for years now, with little to show for it. Last year, Q4 net sales fell 4%, with comps down nearly 3%, contributing to declines of 4% in net sales and over 3% in comps for the full year compared to 2024. The company continues to generate good cash flow and doesn't have much debt, which means it can afford to continue its turnaround into next year, according to David Silverman, senior director at Fitch Ratings. As of last month, the department store has a new chief merchant, former Walmart fashion executive Ryan Waymire, who's also had stints at Wayfair, FabFitFun, Amazon and Target. But it suffered a setback this year as its Sephora shop-in-shops, long touted as a driver of traffic and sales, suffered sales declines for two straight quarters. But ongoing sales erosion threatens to weaken its ability to compete, McMahon said. Its holiday comparable sales, traffic, markdowns and gross margins will be under a microscope, he said. We're covering the news relevant to you. Help us get it right by telling us more about you. "Kohl's needs to give middle- and lower-income shoppers a compelling reason to choose its stores over off-price chains, mass merchants and online rivals," he said. "Another weak holiday would raise questions about how much longer Kohl's can pursue a turnaround without further restructuring."
On October 27, 2026, it was reported, Cymax Group Technologies, the e-commerce technology company that has been in business for two decades, is winding down operations, according to local reports. The Vancouver Tech Journal reported that the company, which was founded in 2004 and provides e-commerce technology and logistics services to furniture manufacturers and retailers through platforms including Channel Gate and Freight Club, is closing based on LinkedIn posts by employees. As of Tuesday morning, the Cymax Group, Channel Gate and Freight Club websites are all active with nothing indicating an interruption in business. A search of LinkedIn posts containing "Cymax Group" shows several "open to work" style announcements from former employees, with the first one dated Oct. 13. Markus Frind, CEO of Frind Properties, was appointed Cymax Group's CEO in 2024 and is its majority owner, after first investing in the company in 2015.
On October 27, 2026, it was reported, after a tumultuous 2025, Saks Global landed in bankruptcy court early this year, a development that seemed inevitable to most observers. The company struggled to pay vendors throughout the year, leading to a dearth of merchandising during the critical holiday quarter. Months later the company exited Chapter 11 as "Exemplar Luxury Group," running, as before, high-end department stores Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, and having trimmed its debt load to under $1 billion. The fleet has shrunk dramatically, yet its remaining stores may not be getting enough attention, according to Appel, who noted that its marketing at the holidays this year is focused on its Manhattan flagship store. Because they don't have scale, and they're using the same buying team for both, which is completely ridiculous." This is exemplified by the closure of Saks' Chicago store on Michigan Avenue, which for decades was across the street from Neiman Marcus, with both thriving. "They might think that by closing Saks, maybe they'll get a lot of customers going to Neiman's, but they're different customers. So I think that's baloney. They don't want to make the investment. They're not taking the long term view." Other analysts see Exemplar as a whole facing a major test this season. Most high-end brands have struggled this year, and aspirational luxury shoppers seem to have fled. Serving these customers is complex, and, at Exemplar, luxury demand, full-price selling, inventory management, vendor relationships and cash generation will all be under scrutiny, according to McMahon. Saks in particular is likely to continue to shed market share, to the benefit of Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's.
