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Wendy's is rolling out its updated image and new store environment to some 200 locations this year. Features include lounge seating, fireplaces and digital menuboards. The re-imaged restaurants have shown an average 25% increase in sales over the prior year.  Learn more.

Design and rebranding: Tesser, San Francisco

New York -- Ann Inc., parent of Ann Taylor and Loft, said Friday that its fourth-quarter profit rose to a better-than-expected $2.37 million from $2.18 million a year earlier.

Sales rose 7.2% to $607.7 million. Total company store- sales for the quarter decreased 0.7%. By brand, same-store sales increased 1.4% across the Ann Taylor brand and fell 2.1% across the Loft brand.

New York -- Foot Locker Inc. on Friday said its fourth quarter profit rose to $104 million from $81 million a year earlier.

Sales jumped 14% to $1.71 billion, including the benefit of an extra week. Same-store sales rose 7.9%.

For fiscal year 2012, which included 53 weeks, the company reported net income of $397 million, compared to $278 million a year earlier.

Total sales increased 9.9% in 2012 to $6.182 million, compared with sales of $5.623 million last year. Same-store sales were up 9.4% in 2012.

Total U.S. Shopper Traffic in Retail Stores and Malls for February 2013

An unexpected decrease in shopper traffic around Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day led to an overall slower retail performance for the month of February.

Retail foot traffic for February decreased 5.4% compared with January 2013, departing from the positive year-over-year retail traffic trends seen in recent months. Foot traffic for February 2013 decreased 6.4% compared with the same month last year. 

PHOENIX — PetSmart reported that its fourth quarter earnings were up 36% to $1.24. Comparable-store sales, or sales in stores open at least a year, grew 4.6%, benefitting from comparable transactions growth of 1.2%. Total sales for the quarter were up 15% to $1.9 billion.

For the year, the company delivered earnings per share of $3.55, up 39% compared with $2.55 last year. Comparable-store sales grew 6.3%, benefitting from comparable transactions growth of 2.4%. Total sales for the year were $6.8 billion, up 11%.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — DSW Inc. has launched Luxe810.com, a new website located at dsw.com/luxe810 that offers top luxury brands at up to 50% off. The Luxe810 assortment includes shoes, handbags, jewelry, and other accessories for men and women.  Among the brands featured on the site are Gucci, Prada, Bottega Veneta, YSL, Sergio Rossi, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Pucci, Giuseppe Zanotti and more. 

LISLE, ILLINOIS — The Numerical Algorithms Group, Ltd., a provider of mathematical software components to industry and other organizations, has named Ken Kubat to the board of directors of its North American subsidiary NAG, Inc. The appointment is effective immediately.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Stein Mart reported that its total sales for the month of February were $85.2 million, an increase of 5.6% over total sales of $80.7 million for the four-week period ended Feb. 25, 2012. Comparable-store sales for the month increased 0.6%.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco reported net sales of $7.58 billion for the month of February, an increase of 8% from $7.01 billion during the similar period last year.

For the twenty-six weeks ended March 3, 2013, the company reported net sales of $51.35 billion, an increase of 9% from $47.22 billion during the similar period last year.

Excluding the impact of fuel, Costco's total comps for the four-week period were up 6%. For the 26-week period, comps were up 5%.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart has launched an online destination on Walmart.com that gives shoppers who want to buy unique and interesting products the opportunity to do so while supporting small women-owned businesses around the world. At launch, Empowering Women Together will offer shoppers more than 200 items from 19 businesses in nine countries.