SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Jeans maker Levi Strauss & Co said on Tuesday that fourth-quarter net profit rose 28 percent, helped by strength in the company’s U.S. Levi’s retail business and improved wholesale sales in Europe.

Despite the positive results during the holiday quarter, the economic recovery around the world was still “tenuous,” said Chief Financial Officer Blake Jorgensen.

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 1 (Reuters) – Gap Inc (GPS.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)
will name its top outlet executive Art Peck as the new head of
Gap North America as it looks to speed up a flagging turnaround
at the apparel brand, a source familiar with the matter told
Reuters on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, Gap announced that Marka Hansen, who
led the Gap brand in North America since 2007, was stepping
down and her successor would be named within a day.

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Impatient over the slow pace of its sales recovery, Gap Inc said the head of Gap North America will step down, as the apparel brand tries to reinvigorate its merchandise and flagging stock price.

Marka Hansen, president of Gap North America since 2007, is leaving Feb 4, and will be replaced by an insider to be named shortly, Gap said on Tuesday.

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 28 (Reuters) – Once again, Amazon is
saying, trust us, we know what we’re doing. Many investors do,
but others have run out of patience.

Amazon.com (AMZN.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) received a pummeling in the market
after it estimated low profit margins for its first quarter –
the result of the cost of ongoing investments in distribution
centers to expand capacity.

LONDON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Buying Ocado, the loss-making British online grocer, would give Amazon.com the model for cutting-edge customer service it would need to crack the market for selling groceries.

And if anyone can make money selling food online, it is surely the world’s biggest internet retailer, which could add its enormous catalog of general merchandise goods to the range of products customers could buy with their regular grocery shop.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Amazon.com investors got a wake-up call on Thursday when the world’s biggest online retailer said its profit margins were sliding as it spends money on massive new distribution centers and acquisitions.

The company also reported slightly lower-than-expected sales for the fourth quarter, which includes the holiday season, as it offered discounts and free shipping to attract customers.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Amazon.com posted holiday quarterly revenue that fell short of analysts’ estimates and forecast disappointing first-quarter operating margins on Thursday, and its shares fell almost 10 percent.

Fourth-quarter revenue for the global online retailer was $12.95 billion. Analysts on average forecast $13.01 billion.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Shares of Amazon.com rose on Thursday, hours before the Web retailer is expected to report impressive quarterly revenue gains from the holiday season, though 2011 profit margins may temper investor enthusiasm.

The company, which began as a Web bookstore and now is the world’s largest online retailer, reported revenue gains of at least 39 percent in the past three quarters, and shares reached all-time highs last week, reflecting Wall Street’s expectations.

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 27 (Reuters) – Amazon.com should
report impressive fourth-quarter sales on Thursday, fueled by
the holiday season, while Wall Street will watch for clues about
the retailer’s profit margins in 2011.

The company, which began as a Web bookstore and now is the
world’s largest online retailer, reported revenue gains of at
least 39 percent in the past three quarters, and shares reached
all-time highs last week, reflecting Wall Street’s high
expectations.

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 24 (Reuters) – Investors focused on
Amazon.com Inc’s (AMZN.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) 2010 holiday results later this week
may be blinded by eye-popping revenue gains, but an improvement
in 2011 profit margins are the hoped-for wild card that could
boost the shares further.

Double-digit revenue growth and the much ballyhooed Kindle
e-reader have kept the world’s largest online retailer in the
spotlight throughout 2010, overriding a historical skepticism
towards operating margins.