Direct To Consumer (DTC)

New York -- J.Crew Group Inc. expects to open 46 stores in 2013, company officials said during its quarterly conference call.
 
The specialty retailer will open 17 Madewell stores, 13 factory outlet units and 16 namesake locations, including its first-ever store in Europe, in London.
  
For the fourth quarter, J.Crew’s earnings were up 18% to $70.4 million. Same-store sales rose 11%.

Seattle -- Nordstrom announced plans to open a Nordstrom Rack in Louisville, Ky. The 33,000-sq.-ft. store, at Shelbyville Road Plaza, is scheduled to open in fall 2013 and will be the retailer's first location in the state.

Nordstrom is also expanding its presence in Florida. It will open a Nordstrom Rack at the Shoppes at University Town Center to serve customers in the Sarasota-Bradenton metro area. The approximately 35,000-sq.-ft.store is scheduled to open in fall 2013.

New York -- SkinnyPizza has signed an exclusive deal with Mogull Realty for multi-unit expansion into Manhattan. 

Houston -- Francesca's Holdings Corp. reported that net earnings in the fourth quarter rose 78% to $14.9 from $8.4 million in the same quarter last year. The company also said it plans to open 80 stores in fiscal year 2013.

Net sales in the quarter ended February 2, 2013, rose 40.6% to $86.7 million, compared with net sales of $61.7 million during the same period in fiscal 2011. Same-stores sales in the quarter increased 9.2%, driven by increased transactions and strong growth in its clothing and jewelry categories.

San Francisco — Williams-Sonoma reported that fourth-quarter earnings per share grew 15% to $1.34 and that quarterly revenue grew to $1.406 billion versus $1.268 billion in 2011, with comparable brand revenue growth of 4%.

Fiscal 2012 earnings per share grew 14% to $2.54. Net revenues for the year grew to $4.043 billion versus $3.721 billion in fiscal year ended January 29, 2012 with comparable brand revenue growth of 6.1%.

SAN FRANCISCO — Williams-Sonoma reported that fourth-quarter EPS grew 15% to $1.34 and that quarterly revenue grew to $1.406 billion versus $1.268 billion in 2011 with comparable brand revenue growth of 4%.

Fiscal 2012 EPS grew 14% to $2.54. Net revenues for the year grew to $4.043 billion versus $3.721 billion in FY 11 with comparable brand revenue growth of 6.1%.

CANTON, Mass. — Net income at Destination XL Group, formerly Casual Male, dropped to $4.2 million from $33.5 million for the fourth quarter in the year-ago period.

Fourth-quarter revenue increased to $114.9 million, compared with $111.1 million last year, and same-store sales edged up 0.5%. By brand, DXL stores saw a same-store sales rise of 15% in the quarter, while Casual Male dipped 2.3%.

The physical store remains the centerpiece of the purchase journey, according to a study by PwC. The report, "Demystifying the Online Shopper," addresses myths about multichannel retailing and offers some ideas to help retailers keep up with their customers. Here's a recap: