Footwear

Hicksville, N.Y. -- Footlocker was the most tweeted about brand with over 50,000 posts, according to GenSent Insights’ 2013 report on Sporting Goods and Outdoor Retailers. This was more than twice the number of tweets the next closest competitors, Dicks Sporting Goods and REI (generated with just under 20,000 posts each.  

Footlocker’s digital and social media strategy includes creating such properties as Sneakerpedia (a hub for sneaker enthusiasts) Kickstagram, (a photo sharing blog) and Footlocker Unlocked (blogs, games and more).

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Chico FAS's comparable sales for the first quarter ended May 4 were flat compared to a nearly 10% increase in last year's first quarter, thanks to an unusually cool spring and the cycling of strong comparable sales last year.

NEW YORK — Foot Locker has appointed former PepsiCo human resources executive Paulette Alviti as the company’s SVP and chief human resources officer. 

Alviti has an extensive background in human resources, both domestically and internationally, with experience in organizational capability and training, talent acquisition and development, employee engagement and communications for the corporate office and field organization.

IRVINE, Calif. — Tilly’s comparable store sales for March and April improved over February for the first quarter ended May 4, buoyed partly by the spring break and pre-Easter periods.

The company’s total net sales were $109 million, an increase of 13% from $96,524 for the first quarter ended April 28, 2012. Comparable store sales, which include e-commerce sales, increased 1.1% compared to the first quarter of 2012. E-commerce sales were $12.6 million, an increase of 16% compared to the first quarter of 2012.

ST. LOUIS — Brown Shoe Company Inc. reported a net loss and declining net sales in first quarter 2013 as the company cited the impact of having exited some businesses in the past year.

The retailer experienced a net loss of $10.8 million, compared to net earnings of $1.7 million a year earlier. Net sales declined about 1% to $588.7 million from $598.2 million.

However, Brown Shoe said that taking $10.4 million in net sales from exited brands during the first quarter of last year into account, net sales actually slightly improved this year.

Birmingham, Ala. – Hibbett sports reported a slight dip in net income during first quarter fiscal 2013, although same-store sales and net sales showed some improvement. Net income for the quarter totaled $26.2 million, down slightly from $26.4 million a year earlier. Same-store sales slightly rose 0.8%, while net sales increased 3% from $232.9 million to $240 million. Net income fell short of Wall Street estimates.

At nearly 25,000 sq. ft. and with 40-ft. ceilings, the Topshop flagship at the Grove, an open-air center in Los Angeles, is big and bold, with touches of whimsy evident throughout the space.

The store, which marks the British retailer’s West Coast debut, offers personal shopping and concierge services with private suites and dressing rooms encased by expansive glass walls. It carries the retailer's complete range of product lines including some exclusive to the location. It also houses the Topman brand.

Anaheim, Calif. – Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. is opening a new pop-up store in the SoHo neighborhood of New York this summer. The two-floor, 10,000-sq.-ft. shop, located at 583 Broadway, opens today and runs through Labor Day weekend.

NEW YORK — Foot Locker has posted the best quarterly profit results in its history for the first quarter ended May 4. The company's net income for the quarter was $138 million, a 10% increased from $128 million for the same period last year.  

The New York-based specialty athletic retailer's first quarter comparable store sales increased 5.2%.