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New York -- Rovio, the maker of Angry Birds, is partnering up with a major U.S. retail chain to open dedicated Angry Birds in-store shops in thousands of locations nationwide, Reuters reported. The shops, which will feature branded toys, tee shirts and books, are being timed to debut with the launch of Angry Birds Space, the Finnish company’s latest downloadable game. The report said the partnership will be more extensive than Rovio’s existing agreement with Barnes & Noble.

New York City -- J. Crew Group reported Monday that profit for the quarter ended Jan. 28 rose to $15.1 million, from $4 million in the same period last year. Revenues surged 13% to $531 million, and same-store sales rose 6%.

For the full year, the retailer reported a profit decline to $51.5 million, from $121.5 million in 2010. Annual revenues rose 8% to $1.9 billion, and same-store sales increased 7%.

Seattle -- Online diamond and fine jewelry retailer Blue Nile announced the appointment of Harvey Kanter as CEO and president, effective March 30. Kanter will also be appointed to Blue Nile's board of directors, effective March 30.

Prior to joining Blue Nile, Kanter served as president and chief executive of Moosejaw Mountaineering and Backcountry Travel, a multichannel retailer of premium outdoor apparel and gear. Before Moosejaw, he served as executive VP and managing director of Michaels Stores.

Chicago -- Fraud prevention and risk management provider Accertify said Thursday that Forever 21 will deploy its fraud prevention solution, customized to the retailer’s e-commerce business.

Forever 21 said it is growing its online presence internationally and turned to Accertify, an American Express company, to process and decrease risk in Forever 21’s online transactions.

Los Angeles -- Guess reported Wednesday that net earnings dipped 7.2% to $95.9 million for the quarter ended Jan. 28, compared with $103.3 million a year earlier.

Revenue for the quarter edged up 2.5% to $775.8 million, from $756.9 million. Same-store sales dropped 5% in the quarter.

The retailer’s greatest strength came from the performance of its Asian segment, which saw revenue surge 27.5% to $70.6 million in the fourth quarter.

Warrendale, Pa. -- Rue21 reported Wednesday that net income for the quarter ended Jan. 28 rose 18.7% to $12.9 million, from $10.9 million in the year-ago period.

Sales surged 15.7% to $219.9 million, but same-store sales dipped 2.2% following a 1.5% increase a year earlier.

During the quarter, Rue21 opened 17 new stores and closed two.
 

Chain Store Age editor-in-chief Marianne Wilson and I go to great lengths to report new store openings on Chainstoreage.com. We pore through convoluted retail financial statements – sometimes twice daily – to uncover news that a chain has its sights set on even a little net new store growth for the year ahead.

I reported earlier today that Urban Outfitters, despite a challenging fourth quarter that saw profits cut nearly in half from the year before, was planning as many as 60 new stores in fiscal 2013.

Schaumburg, Ill. -- GoldMax USA, which specializes in buying gold and precious metals from consumers, announced Tuesday that it plans to open up to 100 new stores in the United States in 2012, adding to its current 200+ store total.

The retailer debuted in Texas with the recent opening of two stores in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area, and another two will open in the next 30 to 60 days.

GoldMax opened its first Minnesota store (in Roseville) as well, and is under way with a new store at the Mall of America in Bloomington.

Houston -- Francesca's Holdings Corp. reported Tuesday that profit for the fourth quarter grew nearly 100% to $8.4 million, from $4.3 million in the year-ago period. Results handily beat Wall Street expectations.

Sales surged in the period almost 55% to $61.7 million, past Wall analysts’ estimated $57.6 million. Same-store sales increased 15%.

The retailer said it expects to open 76 new boutiques during fiscal year 2013.
 

PHILADELPHIA — Urban Outfitters saw profit for the fourth quarter fall to $39.3 million, from $75.2 million a year earlier. Sales rose 9% to $730.6 million, missing Wall Street’s expected $740 million in revenue.

The operator of Anthropologie, Free People and Urban Outfitters stores said heavy discounting over the holidays took a big toll on margins; in fact, margins have declined for at least five quarters as the retailer has made major markdowns to clear out slow-moving merchandise.