Abercrombie & Fitch

Apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch is on the comeback trail.

There were signs in the fourth quarter that Abercrombie & Fitch Co.’s turnaround is taking hold as the chain’s namesake brand ended its five-year same-store sales losing streak.

Longtime retail executive Arthur Martinez is retiring from Abercrombie & Fitch Co. amid an upswing in the chain’s performance.

U.S. teens were out in the malls in force on Black Friday.

Abercrombie & Fitch reported Q3 sales and earnings that beat Wall Street estimates amid signs that its turnaround is gaining traction.

It's a homecoming for Abercrombie & Fitch Co.'s next finance head.   The teen apparel retailer appointed Scott D. Lipesky as senior VP and CFO, effective October 2, 2017. Lipesky most recently served as CFO of American Signature Inc., a privately-held home furnishings company. Prior to that, he spent nine years with Abercrombie in a variety of finance roles, most recently as CFO of Hollister Co.  

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is entering a new market in the Middle East.    The teen retailer announced that, in partnership with Dubai-based Majid Al Futtaim, it will open the first Abercrombie & Fitch store in Saudi Arabia, at the Red Sea Mall in Jeddah. The store is part of the previously announced franchise agreement between Majid Al Futtaim Fashion and Abercrombie.  

Abercrombie & Fitch on Thursday posted a much smaller than expected second quarter loss and better than expected sales amid strong demand for its Hollister brand.    The company reported a net loss of $15.5 million, or $.23 per share, for the quarter ended July 29, compared to $13.1 million, or $.19 per share last year. Excluding certain one-time items, Abercrombie posted a net loss of $11.0 million, or $.16 per share, compared to $16.8 million last year. Analysts on average had expected a loss of $.33.  

Kitchenware retailer Sur La Table has tapped a veteran retailer as its new CEO.    Sur La Table has appointed Billy May as CEO. May, who will also join the board of directors, succeeds Diane Neal who retired earlier this year.   May joins the kitchenware retailer from Abercrombie & Fitch, where he most recently served as senior VP and member of the executive leadership team. At Abercrombie, May was responsible for marketing, e-commerce, omnichannel and geographies.