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Ann Inc. profits hindered by ports dispute
Ann Inc. is blaming its huge fourth-quarter profit loss on expenses related to deep discounts and the West Coast ports dispute.
For the quarter ended Feb. 1, net earnings at Ann Inc. came in at $262,000, or 1 cent a share, compared with $4.7 million, or 10 cents a share, in the same period a year ago. Total sales rose to $647.4 million from $623.3 million, beating the analysts’ estimates of $627 million. Same-store sales rose 1%, with Ann Taylor brand sales declining 0.4% and Loft brand sales rising 1.9%.
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Weather chills February retail sales
Washington, D.C. – The long winter chill put a damper on consumer spending and retail sales in February. According to data from the National Retail Federation (NRF), excluding automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants, retail sales declined 0.2% seasonally-adjusted month-to-month, yet were up 3% on an unadjusted year-over-year basis.
Additional findings from NRF’s monthly retail sales analysis found that:
Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers:
• -2.3% month-to-month

