Retail Stores

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.

Nike shares fell almost 8 percent in premarket trading after the company warned it won’t hike prices quickly enough to offset rising costs. Gross margin, which fell 1.1 percentage points to 45.8 percent in the fiscal third quarter, is expected to narrow by 3 percentage points in the fourth quarter and continue to decline in the next fiscal year, Nike executives said on a conference call.

Canadian yoga-wear maker lululemon athletica said its fourth-quarter net income jumped 92 percent on strong demand for its high-end technical athletic clothing. Net income rose to $54.8 million, or 76 cents per share, from $28.5 million, or 40 cents per share, in the prior year period.

Home Depot is getting ready for its own version of Black Friday. For the second year in a row, the DIY heavyweight will roll out regional promotions that include doorbusters, as well as special pricing on lawn and garden, patio furniture, and grills.

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.

The young woman in the Zappos.com video wears little makeup with her hair in a ponytail. She's cute, but she's no supermodel. What she is: A Zappos employee chosen for her pep and "real people" look to wear and talk about shoes for sale on the company's website.

DSW has announced net income of $18.5 million on net sales of $468.5 million for the fourth quarter ended Jan. 29, compared with net income of $13.4 million on net sales of $402.6 million for the quarter ended Jan. 30, 2010.

Improvements in the U.S. economy bolstered retailers' February sales, reflecting improved consumer sentiment as it relates to spending. According to the National Retail Federation, retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations and restaurants) for February rose 0.6 percent seasonally adjusted from January and 4.2 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

Rugged Bear is closing all 29 stores after more than 30 years of selling children's clothes throughout the Northeast. The liquidation comes after the struggling retailer announced it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Jan. 25. Going-out-of-business sales began in all stores on March 4 and will continue until all merchandise is sold.