Mergers & Acquisitions

Men's apparel retailer Casual Male reported lower-than-expected quarterly results, hurt by lower gross margins due to increased markdowns and weak traffic at their stores.

Lingerie company Frederick’s of Hollywood is expanding internationally with the signing of a licensing agreement covering six countries in the Middle East. The deal with Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Associated Business Group will lead to the opening of at least 10 Frederick’s of Hollywood stores in the next three years.

In a more overt piece of altruistic product design, Nelson Mandela's 46664 organization, a nonprofit that's focused on humanitarian efforts since 2002, has announced the release of its own fashion line, also named 46664. The line will launch this summer with a dedicated store in Johannesburg and then followed by “other retail stores around the country.”

Teen apparel retailer Rue21 said stronger revenue helped drive its fourth-quarter net income up 41 percent. The company reported that it earned $10.9 million, or 44 cents per share, for the quarter that ended Jan. 30, compared with $7.7 million, or 32 cents per share, a year earlier.

Dover Saddlery plans to relaunch its retail store expansion plan. The plan includes opening up to four stores this year and an additional six in 2012. The company hopes to have 40 new stores over the next several years.

Lucky Brand founders Gene Montesano and Barry Perlman have launched a new casualwear brand called Civilianaire with a stand-alone store in Los Angeles. Civilianaire’s limited array of initial merchandise clearly articulates the duo’s fad-free aesthetic. It’s the stuff of faded album covers and coveted vintage finds.

Golden Gate Capital Corp., a private equity firm, agreed to sell a majority stake in the J. Jill clothing business to Arcapita Bank BSC, a Bahrain-based investment bank, less than two years after buying the company.

American Eagle Outfitters will close between 65 and 100 stores in the U.S. in 2012 and 2013, shifting its focus to e-commerce and international expansion after experiencing increased internet sales in the fourth quarter of 2010. The closings will bring the retailer's total store count to approximately 900.

Borders is expected to announce that it will be closing another 75 stores. Company President Mike Edwards said in a conference call that the additional store closings would come from a group of 140 "bubble stores" that had already been identified for possible closings.

Starbucks coffee and Tazo tea will soon be available in K-Cups for use in the Keurig single-cup brewing system. The companies announced a deal that designates Starbucks as the exclusive licensed super-premium brand for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.