Apparel

New York City -- After coming off a strong November, retailers found their momentum waned in December, with many turning in mixed sales for the month. Industry experts said sales were impacted by a still-cautious consumer and the blizzard the crippled the Northeast in the days immediately following Christmas.

Thomson Reuters, which tracks same-store sales for a group of 28 national chains, said total sales for the group were expected to post a 3.4% increase in same-store sales for December, following a 5.6% bump in November.

Expectations outpaced the willingness of consumers to spend during December, as large numbers of retailers reported results that were less than expected. Weather certainly affected the ability of shoppers to get to stores, as heavy rains pelted California and blizzards hit the Northeast, but that type of stuff happens in December. A bigger factor was that retailers were victims of their own success. Recall November was something of a promotionpalooza and shoppers found offers that arrived early and often to be irresistible.

Toronto -- Opterus announced that fashion accessories retailer Charming Charlie has implemented Opterus Store Ops-Center to increase store operational efficiencies.

NEW YORK -- On the heels of a strong November, some department store retailers reported surprisingly weak December revenue. Results were impacted by a blizzard in the Northeast, which took a bite out of sales after Christmas.

The results raised some worries that the holiday season might be less stellar than some had hoped. Still, much of Wall Street still predicts that November and December spending will show the largest annual increase since 2006.

Berwyn, Penn. -- Retailers are likely to experience high demand for winter goods during the upcoming week. Beginning this weekend and carrying through next week, virtually all of North America should prepare for below normal temperatures, according to Planalytics. Most locations east of the Rockies can expect temperatures to trend 10°F to 20°F colder than both normal and last year, with the main exception being the Southwest where temperatures will trend normal to slightly above normal.

New York City -- Discounters reported mixed results for December sales, with many, including Target Corp. and Costco Wholesale Corp., posting gains that fell below analysts’ expectations.

Target Corp. said its same-store sales edged up 0.9%, well short of analyst expectations for a  4% increase. The chain said weaknesses in electronics, toys and some home categories offset strength in grocery and apparel items.

TJX reported same-store sales of 2% December, beating Wall Street estimates for a 2.5% decline. Total sales rose 6% to $3 billion.

"I am extremely pleased with December's sales results, as we significantly exceeded our plans during this important period," TJX CEO Carol Meyrowitz, CEO, TJX.

New York City -- Teen specialty retailer Anchor Blue has closed its headquarters and is in the process of winding down operations at its 120 stores, Women’s Wear Daily reported.

Based in Corona, Calif., Anchor Blue is owned by private equity firm Sun Capital partners.