Finance & Capital Management

American Apparel Inc. reportedly is preparing to file for its second bankruptcy just nine months after it emerged from its first one.     According to Bloomberg, the beleaguered retailer, whose sales continue to slide, could file as early as in the next few weeks.  

A big mall developer thinks Aerospostale still has plenty of life left in it.   Simon Property Group, along with General Growth Properties and several other companies, bought the failing chain out of bankruptcy in September.  Speaking to a group of investors last week,  CEO David Simon expressed confidence in Aeropostale’s ability to regain momentum.  

Lumber Liquidators widened its net loss in the third quarter, though the retailer did move the needle on net sales, which rose 3.4%.   Lumber Liquidators reported a bigger-than-expected net loss of $18.4 million for the quarter, compared to a loss of $8.5 million in the year-ago period, amid higher-than-expected expenses, including legal fees, as the company continues to rebound from last year's investigation into formaldehyde levels in flooring it had previously sold.  

Amazon’s cloud services business is on fire.   Amazon Web Services holds a 45% market share of the worldwide public market for Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), which is greater than Microsoft, Google and IBM’s shares combined, according to a quarterly analysis by Synergy Research Group.  

The nation’s largest auto dealership chain is expanding its brand into new areas of the automotive retail sector.    AutoNation announced it will debut a new format, a standalone concept called AutoNation USA, that will be dedicated to used-car sales and also serve as service centers, offering scheduled maintenance and repair work along with express service. The company has identified 25 sites to launch the concept, with five expected to open in 2017.     

Wayfair is making a bold move to grab more consumer wallet-share, and compete with brick-and-mortar retailers.   Complementing its private label credit card, Wayfar is offering a financing option to consumers purchasing furniture and decor. Through a partnership with financial services company Affirm, Wayfair shoppers now have the flexibility to buy now and make monthly payments for their purchases — a move that extend financing options to a broader range of customers.  

Clarks Americas has moved its head office to a historic location that provides employee- and eco-centric amenities.   After setting up shop in Newton Upper Falls for nearly 18 years, the footwear brand has moved into the historic Polaroid building in Waltham, Mass. The 120,000-sq.-ft., four-story office houses Clarks’s design and marketing operations, and retail and wholesale business support — divisions that are comprised of more than 400 employees.   

Boot Barn’s second quarter performance rose slightly, meeting Wall Street estimates. The western-influenced specialty retailer reported $134 million in revenue for the second quarter ending Sept. 24, 2016, a 3.3% increase from $129.7 million in the prior-year period. This jump also exceeded Wall Street’s estimate of $131.61 million. Boot Barn credited the increase to 13 new stores opened over the past 12 months, and a 1.8% increase in same-store sales. Two of those stores opened the chain during the second quarter.