FINANCE

In a not unexpected move, beleaguered teen apparel retailer Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection.

In a court filing on Thursday in Delaware, the Anaheim, California-based retailer listed assets in the range of $50 million to $100 million and liabilities of between $100 million and $500 million. It listed Simon Property Group and Nike Inc. among its top creditors. The chain named RCS Real Estate Advisors, New York, as its real estate advisor.

Bed Bath & Beyond has entered a new phase in its growth trajectory, becoming more aggressive in returning cash to shareholders and initiating a quarterly dividend as opposed to fueling top-line growth with rapid store expansion.

Home Depot’s is touting improved omnichannel capabilities and an innovative product offering as its seventh annual “Spring Black Friday” sales event gets underway.

Walgreens Boots Alliance on Tuesday announced an increase of 13.6% in net sales to $30.2 billion for the second quarter ended Feb. 29, 2016, compared with the same quarter a year ago, largely due to the full consolidation of Alliance Boots for the entire quarter this year. Foreign currency translation adversely impacted sales by approximately $750 million or 2.4%.

The rise of fast-fashion, changing fashion tastes and online commerce may be claiming another teen apparel retailer.

Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to Bloomberg, which cited people with "knowledge of the situation.” The report said the filing could occur as early as next week.

The Kroger Co. is making a “meaningful” investment in specialty natural/organic grocery chain Lucky’s Market that could expand the supermarket giant’s product assortment.

Kroger did not disclose the size of its stake in Lucky’s, which is based in Boulder, Colorado, and operates 17 stores in 13 states throughout the Midwest and Southeast U.S. Lucky’s stores average 30,000-sq.-ft. and are laid out to resemble an indoor farmers market, and also offer an assortment of prepared foods.

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For retail analysts and consumers alike, what’s going on in the apparel sector is fascinating and, in fact, confounding. While the root causes may not seem exactly crystal clear, the implications will be clear and unambiguous.