Apparel

Euclid: Retail sales down 7% year-over-year in January
San Francisco -- Shopper traffic in January dropped 7% year-over-year as harsh winter storms amplified the shift of shopping to online and mobile, according to Euclid’s monthly retail benchmarks report which analyzes shopper activity and behavior during the month of January. In-store engagement improved more than expected during the low traffic, post-holiday month, but it is unclear how much the longer visits benefitted sales.
Kohl’s boosts guidance on strong holiday sales
Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl’s Corp. raised its earnings guidance for the recently completed business year, citing strong sales growth in the holiday season.

The retailer reported fourth quarter same-store sales of 3.7% and updated its fiscal 2014 diluted earnings per share guidance to $4.20 – $4.22.

“We are pleased with our fourth quarter sales as we saw our base business improve and our new strategic framework, the Greatness Agenda, take hold," said Kevin Mansell, Kohl's chairman, CEO and president.

Wegmans edges out Amazon to top Harris corporate reputation poll

New York — With just 85 stores, Rochester, New York-based Wegmans Food Market edged past online giant Amazon to take the top spot for corporate reputation among the 100 most visible companies, according to the 16th annual Harris Poll Reputation Quotient study.

Harris Poll expanded the list to 100 companies this year, up from 60, to offer deeper insight by industry. As a result, three of this year’s top 10 companies are debuting on the list, including No. 1 Wegmans, No. 7 L.L. Bean and No. 8 Publix Supermarkets.
Academy Sports + Outdoors moving Eastward with four stores in Orlando area

New York -- Academy Sports + Outdoors will celebrate the simultaneous opening of four stores in the Orlando, Florida, area in March.

The new stores will be located in Kissimmee, Waterford, Lake Mary and Melbourne and will open simultaneously at 8:30 a.m. on March 6. The openings mark the Katy, Texas-based company’s furthest expansion eastward to date.

The $4 billion sporting goods retailer has entered into a multi-year partnership with the Orlando City Soccer Club beginning with the team's inaugural 2015 season.
Brown Shoe names J.C. Penney exec as CFO

St. Louis -- Brown Shoe Company announced that Kenneth Hannah has been named senior VP and CFO of the company, replacing Russ Hammer as of Feb. 16.

Hannah most recently served as executive VP and CFO of J.C. Penney Co. Prior to that time, he served in multiple executive roles at SunEdison (formerly MEMC Electronic Materials), including president of Solar Energy and of Solar Materials and as VP and CFO.
Cache files for Chapter 11 protection

New York -- Cache on Wednesday said it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after running out of capital and time to complete its turnaround. The women’s apparel retailer will continue to operate its business, but intends to continue to reduce its store count and sell and renegotiate some of its leases.

Cache chairman and CEO Jay Margolis said the company filed Chapter 11 with the goal of “securing Cache’s future.”
Holiday sales lift Kohl's fortunes in 2014

Kohl’s Corp. has increased its outlook for the recently completed business year, citing strong sales growth during the holiday season.

The company reported fourth-quarter same store sales growth of 3.7%. The company also updated its fiscal 2014 earnings per share guidance to a range of $4.20 to $4.22 per share. On average, 27 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to report earnings of $4.06 per share for fiscal 2014.
Deeper Dive: Forever 21 and Oracle

Forever 21 is planning to open 600 new stores in the next three years, and is helping to ensure those stores attract shoppers with Oracle Retail merchandising and assortment planning technology. By more accurately and efficiently predicting what precise individual items (including SKU-level variations) will be in demand in specific locations at specific times, Forever 21 is making stores as customer-centric as possible.
Me-Ality launches online denim shopping experience

San Francisco -- The digital sizing station Me-Ality that made headlines for creating a denim size-matching solution inside Bloomingdale’s stores has now launched a new online retail shopping experience that allows shoppers to personalize their favorite brands to their own body shapes.
Survey: Retailers will love Valentine’s spending

Austin, Texas – Retailers should love the latest predictions for consumer spending on the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday. According to a recent survey of about 1,000 U.S. adults by digital offers destination RetailMeNot, those surveyed who are in relationships are planning to spend an average of $148 on their significant other, up 30% from $114 in 2014.
Goth Cinderella collection coming to Hot Topic

What do you get when you cross a Disney princess and a mall goth? Hot Topic has found the answer with its new collection inspired by an upcoming Disney live action film.

Hot Topic’s new "Cinderella" collection will be available Feb. 24 exclusively at Hot Topic stores and on hottopic.com, with a pre-sale going on now at hottopic.com.
Report: Amazon pilots e-commerce sites with universities

Seattle – Amazon.com is reportedly piloting co-branded e-commerce sites with three universities. According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon is partnering with Purdue University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of California Davis to operate the sites, which sell textbooks and T-shirts as well as other items available on Amazon.com.