Finance & Capital Management

Columbus, Ohio – Net income at Express Inc. fell 25% during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, dropping from $63.9 million to $47.9 million. Net sales declined 2% from $731.7 million, to $715.9 million.

Same-store sales rose 1%. The company cited heavy promotions as impacting its quarterly results, which did not meet Wall Street expectations. Express intends to start opening outlet stores beginning in May 2014.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation (NRF) is urging Congress to pass legislation that would require online and remote sellers to collect state and local sales taxes, telling a House committee that lawmakers should level the playing field between local retailers and out-of-state competitors. David French, senior VP of the NRF, told the House Judiciary Committee in a letter that legislation is needed to end the sales tax disparity.

E-commerce platform provider FreedomPay has appointed former eBay executive Marc Pereira as VP of technology.

Pereira most recently spent nearly 12 years at eBay Enterprises, serving in several strategic executive roles and has 20 years of e-commerce and technology experience. He will be responsible for overseeing, envisioning and maintaining the company's technology infrastructure, which covers both the development process and the network infrastructure management operations.

National Retail Federation SVP David French told the House Judiciary Committee in a letter this week that legislation is needed to level the playing field between local retailers and out-of-state competitors, as the NRF continues to push Congress to pass legislation that would require online and remote sellers to collect state and local sales taxes.

Express has enlisted swimsuit model Kate Upton as its brand ambassador, making her the first celebrity spokesperson to be a part of the brand's ad campaigns in the last decade.

To kick off the partnership, Upton will host the Express Spring-Summer 2014 Runway Show at the Raleigh Hotel in Miami Beach, Fla., Thursday, March 13. The retailer will then debut Upton in advertising campaigns beginning fall 2014.

Williams-Sonoma president and CEO Laura Alber credited the strength of the company’s brands across retail and e-commerce for its performance in the fourth quarter ended Feb. 2.

New York -- Ending a five-month saga, Men's Wearhouse said it would acquire Jos. A. Bank Clothiers for about $1.8 billion, or $65 per share in cash. As part of the deal, Jos. A. Bank will terminate its plan to acquire Eddie Bauer from Golden Gate Capital.
 
The boards of both companies unanimously  approved the transaction.

New York -- Dick’s Sporting Goods reported consolidated net income of $138.6 million, for the 13-week period ended Feb. 1. Results also exceeded the company’s performance in last year’s fourth quarter, which had an additional week. For the 14-week period ended Feb. 2, 2013, the company reported consolidated net income of $129.7 million.

York, Pa. -- Bon -Ton Stores said its CEO, Brendan Hoffman, will step down early next year. The announcement follows a disappointing fourth quarter for the company.

Hoffman, a former CEO of Lord & Taylor, will leave Bon-Ton on Feb. 7, 2015, when his contract expires. He also will step down as director. Hoffman cited "strictly personal reasons" for his decision to leave.

He was appointed CEO of Bon-Ton in February 2012.

New York -- Plus-sized retailer Ashley Stewart has filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. As part of its restructuring plan, the company announced it will immediately close 27 underperforming locations. Ashley Stewart currently operates some 168 stores. The company previously filed Chapter 11 in 2010.

In a separate statement, the company said potential buyers have expressed interest in buying the chain.