Apparel

New York -- In a month that was solid overall, the discount sector showed its muscle, turning in a strong February same-store sales performance nearly across the board.

After suggesting last week that sales had accelerated and returned to a pre-holiday pace, Target Corp. reported Thursday that same-store sales for the month rose 7%, beating Wall Street’s expected 5.2%. Total sales during the period rose 8% to $5.13 billion, boosted by strength in the food, healthcare and beauty categories. Accessories and apparel performed above average as well.

New York City -- Liz Claiborne Inc. swung to a fourth-quarter profit, buoyed by gains from sales of certain brands and trademarks, including the sale of its namesake brand to J.C. Penney. But the company's total revenue came in well below expectations, hurt by the faltering performance of its Juicy Couture division.

Canton, Mass. -- Casual Male Retail Group announced that its first DestinationXL store in the Middle East will open this spring in Symphony Mall, Kuwait City, Kuwait, under a franchise agreement between one of its subsidiaries and The Standard Arabian Business & Enterprises Company (SABECO).

Youngstown, Ohio -- Cafaro Co. announced that it will make Me-Ality (Measured Reality) available at its South Hill Mall, in Puyallup, Wash., and Eastwood Mall, in Niles, Ohio.

Me-Ality is a free service that uses cutting-edge technology to precisely determine a customer’s exact body measurement and provide a list of recommendations of where to find the best-fitting apparel to flatter that body.

Garden City, N.Y. -- Sabre Real Estate Group said that Douglas Bomzer has joined the firm as a senior associate.

Previously with Breslin Realty, where he specialized in retail tenant representation, Bomzer earlier was a residential real estate broker in the Franklin Square office of Prudential Douglas Elliman. His clients include Dots, Ulta, Maggiano’s, Chili’s, Pet Supplies Plus and Bolton’s.

El Segundo, Calif. -- Federal Realty announced that The Container Store is slated to open a new store at its Plaza El Segundo property, in Southern California. The 22,000-sq.-ft. location is slated to open in June.

As well, Drybar hair salon will open a new location at the shopping center, featuring no cuts, no color, but just blowouts at $35 each. The 1,484-sq.-ft. salon is slated to open March 16.

Plaza El Segundo measures just under 400,000 sq. ft. and features three districts in an open-air coastal setting.

Woodbridge, N.J. -- SRS Real Estate Partners said that Burlington Coat Factory has leased 78,303 sq. ft. at Woodbridge Crossing Shopping Center in Woodbridge, N.J.

Burlington Coat Factory, scheduled to open later this year, will be occupying the former The Great Indoors, which closed several years ago.

Cherry Hill, N.J. -- Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust said that Henri Bendel will join Nordstrom, True Religion, Hugo Boss, Michael Kors, and Guess by Marciano at Cherry Hill Mall this summer.  

The retailer will debut in a 2,300-sq.-ft. location by the Grand Court.

In 2012, Cherry Hill Mall has welcomed The Art of Shaving, and additional notable stores will be announced shortly, including a full-service beauty salon and upscale home furnishing retailer, according to PREIT.
 

San Francisco -- Gap Inc. is expanding its footprint in Latin America. Leveraging its franchise model, the company has opened its first stores in Panamá and plans to introduce its brands to three additional Latin American countries: Colombia, Uruguay, and Peru.

Topeka, Kan. -- Footwear seller Collective Brands Inc. said that its fourth-quarter loss widened dramatically from the year before as higher costs cut into profit margins. But the loss was far narrower than Wall Street expected, while revenue was much higher.

The company, which operates the Payless ShoeSource chain, said its net loss during the quarter ended Jan. 28 was $41.6 million, up from a loss of $10.1 million in the year-ago period. Revenue rose to $815.9 million from $773.8 million. Same-store sales increased 1.7%, also better than expected.