Department Store

Cincinnati -- Macy’s, Inc. plans to hire seasonal associates for approximately 83,000 positions at its Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores, call centers, distribution centers and online fulfillment centers nationwide for the 2013 holiday season. The company’s 2013 seasonal hiring plan will bring on approximately 4% more temporary workers than the 80,000 holiday employees it hired in 2012.

Plano, Texas – Shares of J.C. Penney Company took a beating on Friday after the retailer priced its $932 million share sale at a 7.4% discount and detailed its shrinking cash position.  

Penney priced its sale of 84 million shares at $9.65, down from a closing price of $10.42 on Thursday.

The new offering should raise more than $800 million. According to Reuters, J.C. Penney, which is valued at $2.6 billion, had been considering issuing new stock shares as well as other unspecified alternatives.

Columbus, Ohio — DSW Inc., Designer Show Warehouse has announced two new store openings, one in Baltimore, and another in Lafayette, La.

DSW operates 385 stores in 42 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. – Kohl’s Department Stores announced it is opening three stores on Friday, with locations in Hyannis, Mass., Keene, N.H., and Michigan City, Ind. The company also said it is remodeling 30 locations this fall.

Sales at Indianapolis-based athletic footwear and apparel retailer Finish Line grew 13.3% to $436 million and earnings per share increase 10.2% to 54 cents, nine cents better than analysts forecast for the period ended August 31.

Company chairman and CEO Glenn Lyon characterized the performance as solid, and credited a 0.9% comp increase and expense control for profit growth.

New York – Private equity firm KKR & Co. LP has reportedly dropped out of the auction for Jones Group Inc. According to Reuters, KKR, in partnership with private equity group Sycamore Partners LLP, was the only entity trying to buy the entire Jones Group company.

Bidding continues on parts of Jones Group and the company is soliciting new bids. It is not clear whether Sycamore Group will continue to bid on part or all of Jones Group and KKR, Sycamore Group and Jones Group did not comment in the article.

Union, N.J. – Bed, Bath & Beyond, Inc. reported year-over-year increases in net income, net sales and same-store sales during the second quarter of fiscal 2013. Net income grew about 18%, to $249.3 million from $224.3 million.

New York -- J.C. Penney on Thursday shot back at reports that its sales were weak in the late August and early September back-to-school season and said it was pleased with the progress of its turnaround efforts.

The company said it still expected positive comparable-store sales trends coming out of the third quarter and throughout the fourth, adding that its online sales continue to rise in double-digits over last year.