Apparel

CINCINNATI, MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis., and PLANO, Texas — Macy’s emerged as the big winner among department-store retailers this July, reporting sales growth that exceeded expectations. JCPenney also faired well for July, while Kohl’s sales disappointed. 

Macy’s Inc. reported total sales of $1.6 billion for the four weeks ended July 30, an increase of 5% compared with total sales of $1.525 billion in the four weeks ended July 31, 2010. On a same-store basis, Macy’s Inc. sales were up 5% in July.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Costco announced that it is bringing its Kirstie Kelly wedding gowns to the South during limited-time trunk shows at select locations. 

Purchase, N.Y. -- Apparel continued to show gains in July, while housing-related sectors such as electronics, appliances, and furniture remained sluggish, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, a macroeconomic report tracking national retail and services sales. (The data estimates total U.S. retail sales across all payment forms including cash and check.)

In other findings, auto parts and service posted its first decline after five months of growth.

New York City -- Sears Holdings Corp has named former FreshDirect executive Monica Woo to be VP and CMO, effective Aug. 15, according to Reuters. The post has been vacant since January 2010.

Woo will be responsible for the overall marketing, brand and advertising programs for Sears, according to the report. She most recently was the chief marketing and strategy officer of online grocer FreshDirect.
 

New York City -- Warehouse club operators  Costco and BJ’s Wholesale Club continue to benefit from high fuel prices and bargain-seeking consumers, with both chain reporting solid results.

Costco reported a 10% rise in same-store sales In July, beating Wall Street's expectations for an 8.6% increase.

New York City -- Department store retailers registered solid gains in July, with Macy’s, Saks and J.C. Penney all beating analysts’ estimates. Kohl’s, however, fell short of estimates as its sales fell.

At Macy's, same-store sales rose 5% in July, beating analysts' estimates of 4.1%. The company’s online sales (macys.com and bloomingdales.com combined) surged 36.7% in July, 40.2% in the second quarter and 39.2% in the first half of 2011.

New York City -- The nation’s specialty apparel retailers reported mixed results in July. as Hot Topic and Limited Brands turned in strong performances, while Gap and Aeropostale stumbled.

Hot Topic said its same-store sales rose 7.3% in July. far exceeding the 0.5% rise in analysts’ forecast. Hot Topic said the measure rose 6.2% at its namesake stores and rose 11.8% at its plus-sized Torrid division. The teen retailer also raised its second-quarter outlook.

New York City -- Apple has hired executive search firm Egon Zehnder International to help it find a replacement for its retail head Ron Johnson, according to reports by The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.

The reports suggest that in hiring Egon Zehnder, which has offices around the globe, Apple may be looking for an executive with international retail experience. Apple is set to open nearly 30 stores this year outside of the United States.

PITTSBURGH — Dick's Sporting Goods announced that it has created a new program to help combat concussions in youth sports.

SAN FRANCISCO —  Levi's announced that it has appointed Beto Guajardo as its new global VP strategy. In this role, Guajardo will be responsible for leading the development and execution of the brand's growth strategy and global business development.