Apparel

Savannah, Ga. -- Citi Trends reported Friday a fourth quarter loss of $704,000, narrowed from a $5.3 million loss in the same period last year.

Revenue slipped 2% to $175.7 million, meeting Wall Street forecasts. Same-store sales plummeted 11.8%.

Is it just me, or does it seem like the past two months or so have seen an unusually high level of turnover at the top? It's gotten so that you need a scorecard to keep up with all the comings and goings, as chief executives are forced out, jump ship, retire or move on.

This year's changing of the guard is bittersweet because it includes the retirement of two veteran retailers, Steve Burd of Safeway and Maxine Clark of Build-A-Bear Workshop.

New York -- Aeropostale Inc. reported an unexpected loss for its fourth quarter, hurt by declining same-store sales and store asset impairment charges. The teen apparel chain also forecast a loss for the current quarter, citing markdowns and a weak economy.

"We anticipate a challenging first quarter as a result of expected margin pressures from holiday carryover inventory, and the impact of a weak macroeconomic environment,” said Aeropostale CEO Thomas Johnson.

Lynwood, Wash. -- Zumiez Inc. said Thursday its fiscal fourth quarter net income rose 22.1% to $22.9 million on improved sales.

Revenue for the quarter, ended Feb.2, (14 weeks) increased to $224.4 million from $183.9 million in the year-ago period (13 weeks). Same-store sales fell 1%.

Zumiez said it plans to open about 60 new stores in the current fiscal year, including up to 10 stores in Canada and six stores in Europe.

Canton, Mass. -- Destination XL Group reported Friday that net income for the quarter ended Feb. 2 dropped to $4.2 million from $33.5 million in the year-ago period, as the company continued its transition from Casual Male to Destination XL.

Fourth-quarter revenue increased to $114.9 million, compared with $111.1 million last year, and same-store sales edged up 0.5%. By brand, DXL stores saw a same-store sales rise of 15% in the quarter, while Casual Male dipped 2.3%.

Mergers and acquisitions transaction activity in the U.S. retail sector jumped 39% in 2012 for deals greater than $50 million, while total deal value more than doubled. These gains point to an industry undergoing major changes, one that is attracting considerable interest from a wide range of players.

New York -- Swedish fast-fashion powerhouse H&M is revving up its U.S. expansion. The retailer opened 40 stores in the United States in 2012, and hopes to open even more this year, according to a report in Women’s Wear Daily.

H&M, as previously reported, will open a 42,500-sq.-ft. flagship at 4 Times Square, in Manhattan, that will boost an enormous LED billboard signage display. The retailer will also open a store on Fifth Avenue at 48th Street that, at 57,000 sq.-ft., will be its largest in the world to date.

SARASOTA, Fla. — Saks Fifth Avenue has revealed more details about its new two-level, 80,000 sq. ft. store in The Mall at University Town Center in Sarasota, Fla., which is presently under construction at the intersection of I-75 and University Parkway. The Mall at University Town Center is being co-developed by Taubman Centers and Benderson Development and is scheduled to open Oct. 16, 2014.