Apparel

Dallas -- Zale Corp. said Wednesday that it has named Thomas A. Haubenstricker as senior VP and CFO, effective Oct. 17.

Haubenstricker joins Zale from Turnberry Advisors where he served as a managing director.

Tokyo -- Fast Retailing Co., parent to the Uniqlo chain of stores, reported Wednesday that profit for the full year fell 12% to $709.2 million. The company blamed the performance decline on bad weather, but said it will accelerate store openings overseas, which will compensate for the decline.

SAN FRANCISCO — Gap Inc. is continuing its expansion into Latin America with the opening of its first stores in South America in Chile this month. The company also announced plans to open Gap and Banana Republic stores in Panama and Colombia in 2012.

Houston -- Stage Stores said Wednesday it will launch a new off-price concept, called Steele’s, to be rolled out in small-town America.

The first three stores are slated to open on Nov. 1, in Beeville, Texas; Bastrop, La.; and Minden, La.; the company said it plans to open an additional 25 to 35 new Steele’s stores in 2012.

New York City -- Ann Inc., parent to Ann Taylor and Loft brands, announced Wednesday it will launch a four-year investment in young women’s leadership.

PLANO, Texas — JCPenney Co. said Wednesday it will acquire the worldwide rights for the Liz Claiborne family of brands, as well as the United States and Puerto Rico rights for the Monet brand for $267.5 million.

The company has been the exclusive licensee for all Liz Claiborne and Claiborne-branded merchandise in the United States and Puerto Rico since August 2010.

New York City -- Uniqlo, the expansion-minded Japanese apparel retailer, on Friday will open its largest store in the world, an 89,000-sq.-ft. flagship on Fifth Avenue. The three-level store reflects the chain’s ambitious designs on the United States and also the changing nature of Fifth Avenue, which is experiencing an influx of moderately-priced retailers.

Uniqlo is looking to grow its business to $50 billion by 2020. U.S. expansion figures into its strategy.

In past columns, I have talked about restaurant group think and the tendency of dining concepts to overfill a niche. I’m becoming concerned that athletic apparel is in danger of the same thing. We now have three big players in this space: Lululemon, Lucy, and, more recently, Gap’s new Athleta concept. It seems that each has successfully carved out a lucrative niche in the world of contemporary athletic apparel, but it feels to me like it may be the latest retail “trend-du-jour.”