March 7 (Reuters) – Victoria’s Secret parent Limited Brands
Inc and Costco Wholesale Corp were among
several U.S. chains on Thursday to report stronger-than-expected
sales for February, when consumer confidence about an improving
job market offset the impact of higher taxes.

After a difficult January, when shoppers first felt the
effect of a payroll tax hike that lowered take-home pay by 2
percent, at least some retailers got a little relief last month.

March 7 (Reuters) – Victoria’s Secret parent Limited Brands
Inc and Costco Wholesale Corp reported
better-than-expected sales for February, when consumer
confidence about an improving job market offset the impact of
higher taxes.

After a difficult January, when shoppers first felt the
effect of a payroll tax hike that lowered take-home pay by 2
percent, at least some retailers got a little relief in February
from growing employment and a rising stock market.

March 6 (Reuters) – American Eagle Outfitters Inc on
Wednesday gave a profit forecast that fell short of Wall Street
expectations and said same-store sales would fall in the current
quarter, a setback for a company that has been winning market
share from rivals.

Shares were down 10.2 percent to $20.26 in late morning
trading.

The company, which outperformed Aeropostale Inc and
Abercrombie & Fitch Co during the Christmas season,
thanks to fewer markdowns and getting fresh merchandise more
quickly into stores, expects same-store sales this quarter to
fall by a mid-single-digit percentage rate, blaming the economy.

March 5 (Reuters) – J.C. Penney Co Chief Executive
Ron Johnson has only to the end of the year to turn around the
ailing retailer and stem a massive decline in sales or risk
being fired, a person familiar with the board’s thinking said on
Tuesday.

Directors are leaving little doubt that there is a fresh
sense of urgency after Penney reported terrible holiday sales
numbers last week and board member Steven Roth’s Vornado Realty
Trust dumped 10 million shares in Penney.

By Phil Wahba and Svea Herbst-Bayliss

(Reuters) – J.C. Penney Co (JCP.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) Chief Executive Ron Johnson has said his plan to reinvent the 102-year old retailer will take years to carry out. But after Penney’s latest sales debacle, he may have only six more months to get the job done.

The once-vaunted CEO, the man who built up Apple Inc’s (AAPL.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) retail chain, conceded on Wednesday he made major mistakes in the first year of the turnaround, above all getting rid of the sales and coupons that Penney shoppers want.

Feb 28 (Reuters) – Barnes & Noble Inc reported a net
loss for the holiday quarter, hurt by a sharp decline in sales
in its Nook device and e-books business as well as lower sales
at its bookstores and college bookstore chain.

The company’s shares were down nearly 2 percent in early
trading on Thursday.

Feb 28 (Reuters) – Kohl’s Corp reported a lower
fourth-quarter profit on Thursday, hurt by markdowns during the
holiday season, and forecast full-year earnings that fell short
of Wall Street expectations.

The department store chain, which caters to price-sensitive
middle-class shoppers, said it expects same-store sales to be
flat to up 2 percent this year, following a modest 0.3 percent
gain last year.

By Phil Wahba

(Reuters) – J.C. Penney Co Inc (JCP.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) on Wednesday reported its sharpest sales drop since announcing a grand transformation plan 13 months ago, a plunge Chief Executive Ron Johnson is trying to stop by largely reversing his failed no-discounts strategy.

In the winter holiday season quarter, the most important for retailers, Penney’s comparable sales fell 31.7 percent, steeper than the 27.8 percent drop Wall Street was anticipating.

Feb 27 (Reuters) – J.C. Penney Co Inc reported that
sales at stores open at least a year fell 31.7 percent in the
fourth quarter, even steeper than the sharp drop analysts
expected for the struggling department store chain.

The poor results for the quarter, which included the holiday
season, capped a rough first year for Penney’s turnaround. The
company’s shares fell 8 percent in after hours trading.

By Phil Wahba

(Reuters) – TJX Cos Inc (TJX.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), the owner of the low-price T.J. Maxx and Marshalls chains, on Wednesday reported higher fourth-quarter results and said it plans to expand its chains abroad and domestically this year and finally introduce e-commerce.

TJX, whose websites do not currently let customers shop, intends to begin testing e-commerce toward the end of the year. That, along with store expansion, puts TJX “well on the road to being a $40 billion-plus company,” said Chief Executive Carol Meyrowitz.