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DOW JONES NEWSWIRES Michaels Stores Inc. swung to a fiscal second-quarter loss on a higher interest expenses and following year-earlier gains as the arts-and-crafts retailer posted higher sales and improved margins.

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES J. Crew Group Inc.'s (JCG) fiscal second-quarter profit surged 88% as the company's ability to easily sell full-price items and control inventory helped improve margins, while sales also grew.

) Coldwater Creek posted a profit in its second quarter on a rise in revenue, beating the Street's expectations for another loss. The company on Wednesday reaffirmed its guidance for the year and said its margins will improve as it benefits from inventory control. For the three months that ended July 31, Coldwater Creek said its net income was $1.5 million, compared with a loss of $4.9 million in the year-ago period. Revenue rose 12.6% to $253.5 million, from $225.2 million last year. The company opened five new retail stores in the quarter to finish with 364 locations. It

American Eagle Outfitters on Wednesday posted a 66% drop in its second-quarter net income as it was forced to slash prices on summer items and issued a weak forecast for the current back-to-school quarter."The second quarter was a challenging period, resulting in a miss to our sales and profit plans," CEO Jim O'Donnell said in a statement. "Given the inconsistencies in business trends and unpredictable consumer behavior, we have intensified our actions to improve efficiencies, streamline our process and strengthen profitability."For the three months ended in late July the teen retailer earned $9.7 million, down from last year's net

NEW YORK and PHOENIX, Aug. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- CVC Capital Partners ("CVC") and Leslie's Holdings, Inc. ("Leslie's") announced today that they have reached a definitive agreement for funds advised by CVC to invest in Leslie's, the leading specialty retailer of swimming pool supplies and related products in the United States. Existing equity holders, including affiliates of Leonard Green & Partners and management, will maintain large ongoing ownership stakes in the business. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Leslie's operates 645 company-owned retail stores in 35 states throughout North America, and also markets its products through mail-order catalogs and

Michele Delahunty-Cloutier was appointed to executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for Borders, where she will oversee merchandising, marketing and supply chain. Delahunty-Cloutier previously served as brand president at Chico's. Throughout her more than 22 years in the industry, Delahunty-Cloutier has also worked at Ann Taylor and Gap. "Michele has an exceptional track record of building dominant global brands," says Mike Edwards, Borders' chief executive officer. "She's a roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-to-work type of executive who is adept at effectively working with cross functional business teams to unite a company under one brand vision. I look forward to working closely with

Six years after the launch of Facebook, North American consumers in the valued 18-34 year-old demographic prefer by a wide margin to learn about marketing offers via postal mail and newspapers rather than online sources such as social media platforms, according to national survey research from ICOM, a division of Epsilon Targeting.

Pacific Sunwear of California posted a wider loss in its fiscal second quarter as sales fell 10% and issued a third-quarter outlook that partly fell below analyst expectations. Pacific Sunwear reported a loss of $23.5 million in the three-month period ended July 31, compared with a loss of $14.2 million in the year-ago quarter.Revenue dropped to $218.3 million from $242.8 million last year, but the company said buying trends in its young men's division improved. Same-store sales slid 10% in the quarter.

The acquisition for the Sun Capital asset signifies a continued commitment to retail by the distressed investor. Kellwood Company, the Missouri-based clothing company belonging to Sun Capital Partners, bought ADAM in the first of what is expected to be a series of deals for the firm. Michael Kramer, chief executive and president of Kellwood, said in a statement the company will continue to aggressively expand. Terms of the deal were not disclosed and calls seeking comment were not acknowledged by press time. ADAM was founded by, and named for, its chief executive Adam Lippes; the company’s sportswear is available

ROCKAWAY, N.J., Aug. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The Halloween season is a busy time for Party City as the premier Halloween specialty retailer prepares for an intense seasonal hiring wave in local communities. Party City is creating thousands of temporary jobs throughout America, recruiting 10,000 people to join the Party City team during the Halloween season. The average Party City store will hire up to an additional 15-50 extra employees. "The creation of new jobs is critically important in today's market as the economy continues to recover," said Lisa Laube, President of Party City. "Our efforts to create jobs serve