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NEW YORK (TheStreet) - Lululemon Athletica's(LULU) Chip Wilson plans to step down from the role on Jan. 29, but will continue to serve as chairman. "I remain deeply committed to the company's continued success and given the strength we've built into the organization over the past three years, I feel comfortable leaving the company with Christine Day at the helm of a world class management team whom I fully believe will continue to elevate our world. I look forward to continuing to contribute in my role as Chairman of the Board," Wilson said.

San Diego -- Warehouse club operator PriceSmart said Friday that net income for the quarter ended Nov. 30 edged down to $14 million, compared with $14.9 million in the year-ago period. Net warehouse sales increased 24.1% to $468.3 million from $377.3 million, and total revenue rose to $478.7 million from $386.1 million.

CHICAGO — Claire's Stores has announced that Eugene Kahn , the company's CEO, has resigned. The company said its board of directors will conduct a search for a new CEO and will consider both internal and external candidates for this position. In the meantime, James Conroy , president of Claire's Stores, and Jay Friedman , president of Claire's North American Division, will form an interim office of the CEO, reporting to the board of directors. All of these management changes are effective immediately. Peter Copses, chairman of the board of directors, commented, "We thank Gene for his tireless efforts

Retailers salvaged December sales figures with deep discounts, but the results released yesterday could spell trouble for the coming year for both the industry and the economy at large. Sales at stores open at least a year at major retail chains rose 3.4 percent compared with December 2010, according to data compiled by Thomson Reuters, just above the 3.3 percent that analysts had expected.

NEW YORK — Many retailers reported solid sales gains for December, but the deep discounts and promotions that shoppers have come to expect cut into profits. A range of retailers, including Target and The Children’s Place, reduced their, reducing their earnings outlooks. Overall, retail sales rose 3.4% at the 22 retailers tracked by the Thomson Reuters same-store sales index, compared with the 3.3% analyst forecast. Some retailers offered steep discounts during the crucial holiday season. Alison Paul, retail sector leader at Deloitte in Chicago, said the chains that spread their discounts out over the season did well, while those

Strengthening its "dual identity" as both a retailer and a software owner/developer, Wal-Mart's digital technology division @WalmartLabs has purchased Small Society, a mobile app developer that has created iOS applications for companies including Whole Foods, Starbucks and Zipcar.

When it comes to online marketing, retailers often have significant opportunity to expand their presence. However, limited budgets and ROI goals restrict them from reaching many customers seeking the types of products and services they sell.

Burberry has become the world's most successful luxury fashion brand on Facebook and Twitter, with a record 10 million fans on Facebook and almost 700,000 following the brand's U.K. feed on Twitter. Meanwhile, it has thousands more global Twitter fans following their international feeds and post exclusive content on its own YouTube channel.

Apple is threatening a Chinese firm with legal action if it doesn't discontinue its sale of a Steve Jobs doll. Manufactured by In Icons, the 12-inch action figure bears an uncanny likeness to the late Apple genius who passed away last year. The doll comes complete with Jobs’ trademark blue jeans, trainers and black turtleneck jumper.

Many U.S. adults have plans to return gifts they received this holiday — more than 21 percent said it's very likely that they would return holiday gifts they didn't like. Meanwhile, 32 percent said it would be at least somewhat likely. It may be tough to know whether or not a gift that's been given is going to end up in the returns pile, as more than 78 percent of U.S. adults said they have pretended to like a gift they've received even if they didn't like it.