Gap, Inc.

Gap Inc. turned in a disappointing second-quarter performance as sales fell across all its banners.

Nordstrom Inc. is upping its commitment to the environment.

Banana Republic has joined the growing ranks of retail companies that are letting consumers rent apparel.

Gap Inc. has entered into one of the largest offsite renewable energy contracts by an apparel retailer to date — one that addresses the specific needs of its leased sites.

Retailers concerned over the pending border-adjusted tax have boosted their lobbying efforts in Washington.   Target Corp., Gap Inc., and Best Buy Co. Inc. spent nearly $3.2 million combined on lobbying during the quarter – as opposed to just $830,000 in the same period a year ago – according to federal lobbying disclosures filed Thursday, Bloomberg reported, while Wal-Mart spent almost $2.2 million in the first quarter, an increase of $140,000 over the same time last year.   

Gap reported a 12.5% decline in fourth-quarter profit, with its results impacted by heavy discounting during the holidays. The retailer also issued a profit outlook for the full year that is below analysts' expectations, and said it will open 30 additional U.S. stores during fiscal year 2014.

Gap reported net income of $307 million for the three-month period ended Feb. 1, better than the Street expected, down from $351 million in the year-ago period.

Gap contends its decision to increase the hourly rate it pays workers wasn’t political, but it sure looked otherwise given the timing of the move against the backdrop of the intensifying national debate over the minimum wage.

Go offline, young man: That appears to be the mantra of e-commerce merchants these days.

As competition in the world of online retailing heats up — with Amazon's ever-burgeoning dominance posing the biggest threat — more pure-players are taking the brick-and-mortar plunge. It's a reminder, many experts say, of the strong appeal of the in-store experience — even when stacked up against the convenience of online shopping.