Apparel

New York City -- Saks Fifth Avenue said Friday that, during February, it will give 5% of all registered purchases made with a Saks Fifth Avenue credit card back to local charities.

Saks Fifth Avenue has partnered with 194 charitable organizations nationwide.

“We appreciate our customers’ charitable involvement and look forward to giving back locally with this exciting and newly implemented national program,” said Steve Sadove, chairman and CEO, Saks Inc.

Hong Kong -- Esprit Holdings said Thursday that it will close all 93 of its stores in North America, after abandoning previously announced plans to sell off the business or find a licensed operator to run the stores.

However, according to an emailed statement by Patrick Lau, head of investor relations and mergers and acquisitions, Esprit plans to find one or more license partners to maintain the brand’s presence in North America.

New York City -- The nation’s discount chains reported solid results for January, with Target Corp., TJX Cos., and Costco Wholesale Corp. all reporting gains above expectations. Overall, discounters reported stronger results than department stores, which appeared to take a greater hit due to the unseasonably warm weather and heavy promotions.

As the first month of the year, January accounts for only 20% Nov.-Jan. sales, and 7% of annual sales, according to RetailMetrics.

Dallas -- Zale Corp. announced that Ken Brumfield has been appointed senior VP financial products. In this role, he will be responsible for all customer financing, warranty, insurance and repair product offerings.

New York City -- The nation’s apparel retailers reported mixed results for January as shoppers remain cautious about spending in the uncertain economy.

“It was as tough month as retailers battled holiday hangover, lack of incentive to shop and mild winter that killed outerwear clearance," said Ken Perkins, president of RetailMetrics Inc., in a Reuters report.

As the first month of the year, January accounts for only 20% November-January sales, and 7% of annual sales, according to RetailMetrics.

New York City -- Ann Inc. said that the president of its Ann Taylor brand, Christine Beauchamp, is leaving to pursue other opportunities. She will be replaced by Brian Lynch, who had been president of the Ann Taylor Factory and Loft Outlet divisions and led the website sales for those brands.

The news came as the chain cut its revenue prediction for the quarter that ended in January to a level below analyst expectations, citing slumping sales at its Ann Taylor stores. 

Washington, D.C. -- Consumers are set to put out all the stops this Valentine’s Day, with the average person shelling out $126.03, up 8.5% over last year, according to NRF’s 2012 Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions survey, conducted by BIGinsight. Total spending is expected to reach $17.6 billion.

Portland, Ore. -- Fred Meyer Jewelers, the nation’s third-largest fine jewelry retailer, announced the launch of mobile websites for its namesake and Littman Jewelers brand. The sites are optimized for mobile devices including iPhone and Android smartphones.

Fred Meyer Jewelers has partnered with Moovweb to create the mobile enabled websites. The mobile websites serve as a complement to the regular sites with functional ecommerce capability.