Apparel

The Buckle reported earnings for its fourth quarter that missed expectations amid a rough market for teen retailers.    Net income for the quarter ended Jan. 28 was $36.0 million, or $0.75 per share ($0.74 per share on a diluted basis), compared to $98.0 million, or $2.04 per share ($2.03 per share on a diluted basis).   Buckle’s net sales fell 15.7% to $280.0 million, from $332.0 million for the prior year.   Same-store sales for the quarter decreased 16.1%.

There’s been a change at the top of teen apparel retailer Pacific Sunwear of California (PacSun).   Chief executive Gary Schoenfeld has departed the chain, which is owned by Golden Gate Capital. The news was first reported by shop-eat-surf.com   Schoenfeld had served as CEO of PacSun since 2009. No reason was given for his departure.   

A former executive at Gander Mountain has joined Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores.    The retailer has appointed Jeff Csuy as senior VP, general merchandise manager, fabric and sewing. He will report to Sharyn Hejcl, Jo-Anne’s executive VP, chief merchandising officer, as he “leads the fabric and sewing team to drive innovation while putting the customer first in all decisions,” Hejcl said.  

It’s a done deal.   Private investment firm CriticalPoint Capital on Thursday that it has completed the acquisition of JackRabbit and its respective stores from The Finish Line.   The acquired company, its stores and e-commerce platform will continue to operate under the JackRabbit brand. At the end of 2016, there were 65 JackRabbit and JackRabbit-affiliated stores in 18 states.    

Nordstrom Rack will open a store at Cascade Station in Portland, Oregon.    The approximately 28,000-sq.-ft. store is scheduled to open in fall 2017.   This will be the fifth Nordstrom Rack store in the Portland area. Portland is also home to the first stand-alone Nordstrom Rack store, which opened in 1983. The company also operates a full line stores at downtown Portland and Clackamas Town Center.  

In an omnichannel world, success is based on presenting the right products in front of shoppers when — and where — they are ready to make a purchase.   Soft Surroundings quickly learned that the more it expanded however, the harder this task became. Choosing the right allocation and merchandise planning solution was only the first step in the brand’s journey. By partnering with Columbus Consulting International, the chain was able to streamline the design, deployment and implementation of its new solutions.

There’s a lot going on at the company formerly known as Quiksilver.    In a new phase of its turnaround, the company has changed its name to Boardriders, a name designed to reflect the company’s portfolio of action sports brands — Quiksilver, ROXY, and DC Shoes — which are unified by the boardriding culture and heritage.    

Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th announced plans for two new stores in Canada.   The retailer plans to open a location at CF Markville in Markham, Ontario. The approximately 27,000 sq. ft. store is scheduled to open in 2018.    “Ontario is a key market for Saks Off 5th in Canada and we’re excited to continue to grow our presence there,” commented Jonathan Greller, president, Saks Off 5th and Gilt, which are part of Hudson’s Bay Company.