Strategy

New York -- Body Central announced Friday that Thomas W. Stoltz has been promoted to COO and named interim CEO.

Stoltz has served as the company's executive VP and CFO since September 2011 and replaces B. Allen Weinstein, the company's former CEO who retired effective Aug. 16.

Stoltz will also continue to serve as Body Central's CFO.

San Francisco -- Gap Inc. reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended July 28 surged 29% to $243 million, prompting the retailer to raise its guidance for full-year 2012.

Sales increased 6% to $3.58 billion, compared with $3.39 billion for the second quarter last year. Same-store sales rose 4%.

“Our continued focus on product and store execution are helping to drive positive momentum and we’re committed to sustaining solid performance for the remainder of the year,”said Glenn Murphy, chairman and CEO.

New York -- Following Wednesday reports that large retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores, Target Corp. and 7-Eleven are developing a mobile payment network, Wal-Mart confirmed on Thursday that a new company has been formed by Wal-Mart and other leading U.S. retailers to develop and deploy an m-commerce solution much like the Starbucks Square initiative that was announced last week.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Ross Stores Inc. reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended July 28 jumped 23% to $182 million, from $148.3 million in the year-ago period. Results met Wall Street expectations, but the company issued profit predictions for the current quarter and full year that were below average forecasts. Same-store sales rose 7% in the quarter.

Dallas -- A Thursday report by the Wall Street Journal said that Warburg Pincus and TPG, the private-equity owners of Neiman Marcus Group Inc., are looking for an exit.

The firms paid $5.1 billion for Neiman Marcus seven years ago; the company is currently valued, according to analysts, at about $4 billion.

Washington, D.C. -- According to the National Retail Federation and BIGinsight’s 2012 Back-to-School survey, families with school and college-aged students as of Aug. 7 say they have more than half of their shopping lists to complete.

The average person with children in grades K-12 has completed 40.1% of their shopping, while college shoppers and their families have completed slightly more at 45.3%.

Overall, school and college shoppers this year are expected to spend a total of $83.8 billion.

New York -- Bloomberg reported Thursday that Macy’s Inc. has filed suit against J.C. Penney Co. in New York state court over the rights to sell products branded by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. in their respective department stores.

Macy’s sued Martha Stewart Living in January to stop it from executing a sales agreement with J.C. Penney, as Macy’s claimed an exclusive right to sell Martha Stewart products in certain categories.

Wayne, N.J. – Toys “R” Us opened its first stores in Beijing last weekend, marking its continued expansion across China.

Secaucus, N.J. -- The Children's Place Retail Stores reported Thursday a loss of $15.1 million, widened from a loss of $9.8 million in the same quarter last year.

Second quarter net sales increased 5% to $360.8 million, compared with $343.5 million in second quarter 2011. Same-store sales grew 3.4%.
 

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Stein Mart reported Thursday that profit slipped to $730,000 from $1.3 million last year, but second-quarter results managed to meet Wall Street's view, as revenue climbed.
 
Sales for the period grew 2% to $276.4 million, beating the $275.9 million that analysts expected. Same-store sales rose 1.6%.