Department Store

Brisbane Calif. -- Bebe Stores reported Thursday that profit for the fourth quarter doubled to $4.7 million, from $2 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue rose 8% to $132.3 million, compared with $122.1 million last year and beating Wall Street expectations of $126.1 million. Same-store sales grew 7%.

For the year, the company narrowed its loss to $1.8 million, from $5.2 million in fiscal 2010. Annual revenue increased 3% to $493.3 million.

Topeka, Kan. -- Collective Brands, parent company of Payless and Stride Rite shoe chains, announced Wednesday that it would close 475 underperforming stores over the next three years and has hired a firm to help it explore its options.

The company hired Perella Weinberg Partners and Kurt Salmon as advisors to explore strategic alternatives.

Little Rock, Ark. -- Dillard’s said Thursday it has offered to relocate 66 St. Louis employees whose jobs have been eliminated from the department store retailer’s merger of two merchandising divisions.

Dillard’s is merging its St. Louis merchandising division with another in Little Rock, Ark. The St. Louis division is slated to close Oct. 23.
 

Columbus, Ohio -- Express reported Wednesday that profit for the second quarter fell 43% to $12.6 million, compared with $22.1 million in the year-ago period. Results still topped Wall Street expectations, and the company has upped it s forecast for the third quarter and full year.

Revenue rose nearly 10% to $446 million from $407.3 million, beating analysts' average forecast for $439.6 million in revenue. Same-store sales rose 6%.

The world is full of powerful women, but a recent listing of the 100 most powerful by Forbes indicates that, with a few exceptions, they don’t think many are involved in the retail and consumer packaged goods world.

New York City -- A Wednesday report by Bloomberg said that Borders and Books-A-Million reached an agreement for a lease sale involved 14 Borders superstores and specialty stores for $934,209.

Citing documents filed Wednesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, the report said the store locations include Portland, Maine; Canton, Ohio; Concord, N.H.; and Mays Landing, N.J.

The agreement is conditional on approval by the bankruptcy court by Aug. 29. A deal for Books-A-Million to buy 30 Borders locations fell through in July.

St. Louis -- Brown Shoe Co., parent to the Famous Footwear chain, reported Thursday a loss of $4.6 million for the second quarter, compared with a profit of $5.3 million in the year-ago period.

Sales increased 7.2% to $628.1 million, from $585.8 million.

When Washington, D.C.-based Madison Marquette took over the leasing and management duties for Granite Run Mall, located in Media, Pa., near Philadelphia, it launched an innovative program for soliciting shopper feedback.