FINANCE

Chico's FAS Inc. has appointed Susan Lanigan as executive VP and general counsel.
 
Lanigan has 25 years of professional experience and more than 15 years of business experience in the retail industry, including serving as executive VP, general counsel of Dollar General Corp.
 

Japanese specialty retailer Uniqlo has been losing money with its U.S. stores for the past five years, but is not ready to throw in the towel.

According to Reuters, Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing Co. Ltd. is making a U.S. turnaround a top priority.

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Despite improved net sales, DSW Inc. saw net earnings decline substantially during the first quarter of fiscal 2017.
 
The footwear retailer reported net income of $30.01 million, down 37% from $47.37 million in the prior year quarter. Growing cost of sales and operating expenses, as well as a pretax expense from the February purchase of online footwear retailer Ebuys Inc., cut into profit even as net sales rose 4% to $681.27 million, from $655.47 million. Ebuys contributed $15.1 million in net sales.
 

Members of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) elected Elizabeth Holland as chairman, marking only the fourth time in the past 59 years a woman has chaired the organization.

Holland brings a unique skill set to the role given ICSC’s top legislative priority and the upcoming presidential election. The period following the inauguration of a new president is always a critical time in Washington, heralding what is traditionally the most active time in the legislative cycle, according to ICSC.

Increases in cost of sales, operating expenses and depreciation resulted in net income dropping at Kirkland’s Inc. during a generally disappointing first quarter of fiscal 2016.
 
The specialty home décor chain’s net income totaled $916 million, down 64% from $2.53 billion in the first quarter of the previous fiscal year. Net sales rose 10% to $129.91 million from $118.31 million, below expectations. Same-store sales edged up 0.5%.
 

Men’s Wearhouse may not have seen the last of original co-founder George Zimmer.

In an interview with Inc., Zimmer discusses conversations he has had about a possible acquisition attempt with private equity firms.
 
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Best Buy Co. Inc. surpassed Wall Street expectations with rising profits and declining revenues for the first quarter of fiscal 2017, and CFO/CAO Sharon McCollam announced she will retire June 14.
 

The nation’s leading auto parts retailer produced modest sales and profit growth during its third quarter but managed to achieve double digit earnings per share growth thanks to stock buyback activity.

AutoZone sales increased 4% to $2.6 billion during the quarter ended May 7, thanks to the addition of new stores and a 2% same-store sales increase. Net income increased 6% to $327.5 million, while earning per share increased 12.6% to $10.77 as the company spent $533 million to repurchase 687,000 shares.