Apparel

NEW YORK — L.Brands, parent of Victoria's Secret, reported better-than-expected 3% sales in same-store sales for March. Zumiez Inc. and Buckle Inc. also both reported better-than-expected numbers.

But other retailers were hampered by a colder-than-normal March, which caused many shoppers to put off buying warmer-weather clothing, and an early Easter. At The TJX Companies, same-store sales fell 2% in March, a bigger drop than was expected.

PHILADELPHIA — Destination Maternity its total sales for the second quarter fell 2.1% to $134.9 million from $137.8 million. The company attributed the drop to the closure of all of its remaining leased departments within Babies “R” Us stores in October, along with the closures of underperforming stores.

Despite the sales drop, Destination Maternity said it now expects its second-quarter profit to fall in the top half of its previously projected range of 38 cents to 44 cents per share, crediting tight management of its expenses.

PETALUMA, Calif. — MarketLive, a provider of e-commerce technology and services for high-growth merchants, has announced the winners of its annual MarketLive Merchant Awards, honoring the top performing e-commerce sites across MarketLive's customer base of America's leading retail brands. The awards were presented at the MarketLive Summit 2013 in Sonoma, Calif.

New York -- In not-so-unexpected news, a regulatory filing with the SEC on Wednesday revealed that J.C. Penney’s new CEO Mike Ullman has resigned from Saks Inc.’s board of directors, effective Monday.

Saks has not yet named a replacement for Ullman.

Pittsburgh -- American Eagle Outfitters said Wednesday it has named Kitty Yung to the position of EVP/president of Asia Pacific, charged with supporting the chain’s global geographic and channel growth “while aligning with our strategic plan of fortifying core assets, growing North America and transforming to a global omni-channel competitor …,” said Robert Hanson, CEO.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings has launched a new business unit that will focus on the development of entertainment-driven fashion and lifestyle brands. The unit, called Shop Your Way brands, will be lead by Bernt Ullmann and his team from Star Branding, whose partners include Tommy Hilfiger, Andy Hilfiger, and Joe Lamastra.

Dallas -- Alliance Data Systems Corp. announced its retail services business has signed a long-term agreement to provide private label credit card services for Barneys New York.

Fremont, Calif. -- Men’s Wearhouse has launched a new mobile website that allows shoppers to interact with the brand while on the go. Users can browse Men’s Wearhouse’s full list of in-store offerings, locate their nearest store and design the perfect tuxedo for any occasion with the Build-A-Tux feature, which allows users to choose from 96 different vest and bowtie colors and customize their tux with the aid of pre-styled looks that are easily saved for later or shared with friends and family.

NEW YORK — Myron E. (Mike) Ullman has rejoined Penney as CEO, effective immediately, replacing Ron Johnson, who is leaving the company. Ullman, who served as CEO of Penney until late 2011, has also been elected to the board of directors.

Johnson’s departure was not all that unexpected given the chain’s mounting losses and sales declines. But it was still a stunning reversal of fortune for the former golden boy of Apple, who left the tech giant amid great fanfare for the top job at Penney.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Women are taking fashion into their own hands, according to a new study from T.J.Maxx and Dr. Hazel Clark, research chair of fashion at Parsons The New School for Design.