aggregatedcontent

Talbots has agreed to be acquired by an affiliate of the private equity firm Sycamore Partners, the two companies said Thursday. Under the agreement, Sycamore Partners will acquire all the outstanding common stock of Talbots for $2.75 per share in cash. A previous offer from Sycamore Partners had called for $3.05 a share, but then negotiations stalled. In the press release issued Thursday, the companies said that the current transaction is valued at about $369 million when debt is included. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of this year.

Neiman Marcus is equipping all of its 4,000 associates at its full-line stores with smartphones in an effort to better serve customers, company executives said on the retailer’s recent conference call with analysts. Neiman’s executives also said the company plans to remodel it stores on Michigan Avenue in Chicago and in Bal Harbour Shops, Bal Harbour, Fla.

Earlier this month, the anti-gay group One Million Moms (which has substantially less than 1 million members) called for a boycott of J.C. Penney after it featured a lesbian couple in its catalog. The retailer didn't apologize and isn't backing down. In fact, it's almost trolling the anti-gay groups with jubilant, uncorporate-like defiance in a Father's Day ad featuring not one but two dads. The two men pictured are real-life dads Todd Koch and Cooper Smith, seen with their kids, Claire and Mason.

Indianapolis-based LIDS® Sports Group, primarily known through its specialty headwear LIDS retail business and sports apparel LIDS Locker Room division, has reached an agreement with the University of Florida to operate and manage the official team stores for the Florida Gators. This includes two primary locations within "The Swamp," as well as other special event concessions for the University's baseball, basketball, and gymnastics athletic programs, among others. Through this agreement, the former Florida Gators Sports Shop will be re-branded as the Gator Locker Room. In addition, the Company will leverage its current LIDS Locker Room locations in the state

New York -- With only a few exceptions, retailers are posting solid gains in May, with such chains as Target, TJX, Ross and TJX Cos. beating Wall Street forecasts for the month. The Thomson Reuters Same-Store Index, which tracks the stores that release monthly sales reports, is expected to rise 3.6% in May. "Analysts are taking a careful approach to May same-store sales given the cautious tone issued by most retailers on second-quarter earnings guidance," said Ken Perkins of Retail Metrics, in a research report. Despite the caution, analysts are spotlighting some unexpected stars in the specialty store arena.

New York -- Levi Strauss & Co. promoted Joelle Mahler, senior VP of Americas Retail, to the new post of executive VP of the company, and president of global retail, effective immediately. Mahler will be responsible for Levi’s retail operations worldwide, including company-owned, franchise and outlet stores, along with e-commerce.

J.C. Penney appears to be relenting a bit on the strict nonpromotional strategy launched by CEO Ron Johnson. In a report on CNBC.com, Deutsche Bank Analyst Charles Grom said the chain has added five "Best Price Friday" events to its calendar. The first took place the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, and another is scheduled for Black Friday in November. Others may occur at peak sales times, according to Grom.

KEARNEY, Neb. - Teen apparel retailer The Buckle Inc.'s revenue at stores open at least a year was nearly flat in May, missing analyst expectations.The measure edged up just 0.2 percent, during the four weeks ended May 26. Analysts expected a 3.3 percent rise, according to a Thomson Reuters poll.This figure is a key indicator of a retailer's health because it excludes results from store recently opened or closed.The results show consumers appear to have slowed spending on items like Buckle's trendy jeans and t-shirts in May from the company's first quarter, which runs from February through April. Revenue

(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Duckwall-ALCO Stores, Inc. today announced that sales from continuing operations, excluding fuel, increased 4.4% to $40.1 million for the fiscal four-week period ended May 27, 2012, compared to $38.4 million during the same period of the prior year. On a same-store basis, excluding fuel, sales increased 1.8% from a year earlier. Rich Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "May sales were in line with expectations as we continue to see increases in our Hardlines, Commodities and Home divisions. We are experiencing growth in Toys, Outdoor Furniture, Hardware, Candy, Food, and Pet Supplies departments." Wilson continued:

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced a deal Wednesday that will have Amazon.com build two warehouses in New Jersey that will employ a total of 1,500 workers, as well as collect sales tax on online purchases made by state residents, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The state is providing tax incentives to Amazon, which didn't say exactly where the warehouses will go. Earlier reports said that one will go in the northern part of the state and the other will go in South Jersey.