Department Store

New York City -- J. Crew Group said Wednesday that it did not receive any alternative takeover bids during an 85-day "go shop" period, in which the company sought alternatives to an offer from its former owner.

J. Crew agreed in November to be taken private in a $3 billion deal with two investment firms, TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners. It originally had until Jan. 15 to vet other prospects, and that period was extended by a month.

Okay, stop snickering. Target this week revealed that the name of its new small format stores would be CityTarget. The company offered that nugget in connection with news that it would open a small-format store in downtown Chicago at the Sullivan Center development located in the heart of downtown at South State Street and Madison.

New York City -- A report released Thursday by American Express Business Insights said that spending in the fourth quarter was up across the board, but the retail sector spend growth was more subdued despite the holiday shopping season.

New York City -- Italian eyewear maker and retailer Luxottica Group SpA said Thursday it will acquire two specialty sunglass retailers in a deal worth about $23 million in a move to gain entry to the Mexican market.

Luxottica’s deal to buy Stanza and High Tech includes more than 70 stores that will eventually be rebranded as Sunglass Hut locations.

Walmart and Target are being blamed for driving shares of Canadian retailers to their lowest level in six years, according to a Bloomberg report this week. Bloomberg said the ratio between the S&P/Toronto Stock Exchange Retailing Index and its counterpart in the Standard & Poor’s 500 narrowed to 4% on Feb. 11, the smallest in six years. The retailing index has retreated 2.3% this year, while a separate index of companies that sell food and basic necessities has lost 1.1%, the biggest declines among 24 industries in the S&P/TSX. 

New York City -- Liz Claiborne narrowed its fourth-quarter loss as the company trimmed expenses. But it issued a lackluster outlook for its coming fiscal year.

The company said Thursday that it lost $30.1 million, compared with a loss of $41.7 million in the prior-year period.

Revenue dropped 7% to $703.7 million from $756.5 million, down mostly because of a transition in the licensing model under its J.C. Penney Co. and QVC deals.

Still, the results topped Wall Street's $684.6 million

Beachwood, Ohio -- The Developers Diversified Realty Corp. board of directors announced the company and Scott A. Wolstein have agreed he will step down from the role of executive chairman of the board of directors.

New Albany, Ohio -- Abercrombie & Fitch Co.'s fiscal fourth-quarter net income nearly doubled on strong sales overseas and better U.S. results. The retailer reported net income of $92.6 million, up from $47.5 million a year ago.

Revenue for the period ended Jan. 29 rose 23% to $1.15 billion, from $936 million. Domestic revenue rose 13%, while international revenue jumped 61%.

Same-store sales rose 13%.