FINANCE

Women’s apparel retailer J.Jill is returning to the public arena after more than a decade of private ownership.   The retailer on Monday said it has launched an initial public offering of 11.67 million shares. The IPO is expected to have a price range of between $14.00 and $16.00 per share.   J.Jill has been approved to list its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker “JILL.”  

As teen retailers deal with competition from online as well as off-price and fast-fashion brands, one teen retailer is flourishing — with aggressive store expansion plans.  

JackThreads is the latest company seeking help to stay afloat.   The online men’s retailer has cut its staff down to a skeleton crew with mass layoffs over the past two weeks, and is on the hunt for a buyer, according to Fortune.   

The proliferation of cheaper, mass-produced consumer-grade virtual reality (VR) applications are finding their niche in retail.   The technology, which was often synonymous with customized and expensive equipment, has been a long-time staple for military training, civil flight training, and industrial 3D modeling.   

Starbucks is shuttering its remaining Evolution Fresh stores, but the brand will live on.   The coffee giant will close the two Evolution locations, both of which are in Seattle, but will continue to sell Evolution Fresh cold-press packaged juices in its coffee shops and at supermarkets. It also is launching new flavors.      Starbucks bought the brand in 2011, reportedly with an eye to rolling out stores nationwide. But it never grew beyond a handful of locations.  

Despite a softer sales environment, Foot Locker reported strong fourth quarter earnings — surpassing analyst estimates.   For the fourth quarter ended January 28, 2017, the specialty athletic retailer’s profits hit $189 million, or $1.42 per share, compared with net income of $158 million, or $1.14 per share in the same period of 2015. This exceeded analyst estimates of $1.31 per share.  

J.C. Penney on Friday announced plans to close stores and reduce its workforce even as it reported its first profit since 2010.    In one of its deepest cuts to date, the retailer said it will close 130 to 140 stores, which represent about 13% to 14% of its total, 1,014 store base. The locations to be shuttered are unprofitable, Penney said, and generated less than 5% of total annual sales.     

While RH continued to make investments to transform its business model, these efforts impacted the company’s preliminary fourth quarter earnings.   The furniture and housewares company, which officially changed its name from Restoration Hardware to RH last month, posted net income of $8.75 million, or 21 cents per share, for the quarter ended January 28, 2017. This was a drop from $33.3 million in fourth quarter 2015. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, came to 68 cents per share, beating analyst estimates of 65 cents per share.