Apparel

J.C. Penney on Friday announced plans to close stores and reduce its workforce even as it reported its first profit since 2010.    In one of its deepest cuts to date, the retailer said it will close 130 to 140 stores, which represent about 13% to 14% of its total, 1,014 store base. The locations to be shuttered are unprofitable, Penney said, and generated less than 5% of total annual sales.     

Despite a softer sales environment, Foot Locker reported strong fourth quarter earnings — surpassing analyst estimates.   For the fourth quarter ended January 28, 2017, the specialty athletic retailer’s profits hit $189 million, or $1.42 per share, compared with net income of $158 million, or $1.14 per share in the same period of 2015. This exceeded analyst estimates of $1.31 per share.  

Dalton Street Properties has acquired East Side Plaza, a Michaels-anchored center in Shreveport, Louisiana for $8.95 million. Other tenants at the 78,761-sq.-ft. center include Guitar Center, Dollar Tree and Cato.   “The East Side Plaza sale was a significant win for both parties, allowing the seller to exit a non-focal market while providing the purchaser with a high-quality asset,” said Fred Victor, VP of Transwestern, who brokered the sale on behalf of the seller, Eastside Dunhill.

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Commentary by Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, comments on J.C. Penney’s fourth quarter:     Although JCP ended its fiscal year with a shrink in sales, it can take some comfort from the fact that the decreases are modest and that it managed to outperform its main department store rivals.  

2017 is just two months old, but we have already experienced what feels like a year’s worth of major store closing and liquidation announcements from national brands. This spike in store closings seems to have rattled retail industry professionals, and has gotten retail analysts and observers talking about big shifts – and thinking not only about what comes next, but how painful the transition might be in the meantime.  

L Brands’ same-store sales flat, lowers 2017 outlook L Brands is preparing for steep losses in the near-future, specifically across its Victoria’s Secret brand.    For the quarter ended January 28, 2017, net sales were $4.489 billion, an increase of 2% compared to $4.395 billion for the quarter ended January 30, 2016. The company’s net income was $631.7 million compared to $636 million last year.   Lifestyle specialty retailer readies for EMV Pacific Sunwear is one step closer to more secure in-store payments.   PacSun is working with BTM Global to implement and integrate EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa) software that will support the global stand-ard for credit card and debit card payments. The implementation will roll out across more than 494 stores in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, a move that will strengthen payment security and protect its customers’ data.     First Previous 769 770 771 772 773 Next Last X This ad will auto-close in 10 seconds