Latest apparel news and analysis articles 
This section details men's, women's and children’s wear firms, product categories including outerwear, knitwear, jeans, sportswear, luxury and intimate apparel, as well as information relating to the sector such as licensing deals and appointments
Cambodia: A rising star with a falling reputation?
24 May 2013
Cambodia's reputation as a standard-bearer for apparel x - and yet the country is a rising star when it comes to attracting foreign investment and increasing exports.
BANGLADESH: Activists put compensation costs at EUR54m
24 May 2013
Labour rights groups estimate that more than EUR54m (US$71m) in long-term compensation payments are due to victims of the Rana Plaza factory complex collapse in Bangladesh last month.
US: Gap Q1 off to strong start with 43% profit surge
24 May 2013
Specialty clothing retailer Gap Inc has seen its financial year get off to a "strong start" with profit jumping 43% thanks to sales gains at its namesake and Old Navy chains.
Who has signed the Bangladesh safety accord - update
24 May 2013
A total of 40 companies have now signed the new Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh following the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory building last month, which killed more than 1,100 people.
EUROPE: Jeans imports down for first time in a decade
24 May 2013
European jeans imports by volume were down for the first time in a decade last year, falling 7.3% on 2011 to 455m pairs.
US: Abercrombie & Fitch first-quarter net losses narrow
24 May 2013
US retailer Abercrombie & Fitch saw first quarter net losses narrow despite sales declining as the company faced inventory shortage issues.
US: Ross Stores lifts outlook on Q1 profit growth
24 May 2013
Off-price retailer Ross Stores has raised its full-year earnings guidance after recording a 12% increase in first-quarter net profit, boosted by higher sales.
US: Foot Locker Q1 profit rises on growing sales
24 May 2013
US sportswear retailer Foot Locker saw first quarter net income rise on the back of sales growth.
US: Zumiez Q1 net income down on aquisition costs
24 May 2013
US sportswear retailer Zumiez saw first-quarter net income almost halve on the back of costs relating to its acquisition of sports retailer Blue Tomato.
US: New York & Co swings to Q1 profit
24 May 2013
US clothing company New York & Co swung to a first quarter profit despite sales edging down.
US: Aeropostale swings to Q1 loss
24 May 2013
Teen apparel retailer Aeropostale has swung to a second-quarter loss, after it was forced to increase promotions to clear inventory due to unseasonably cool weather.
just-style's most read stories this week...
24 May 2013
The most-read stories on just-style this week include a factory collapse in Cambodia, a look at who has signed the Bangladesh safety accord, and calls from institutional investors and shareholders for retailers to uphold their commitment to worker safety.
US: Stein Mart Q1 profit jumps 35.6%
24 May 2013
Off-price fashion retailer Stein Mart has booked a 35.6% jump in first-quarter net profit, driven by fewer markdowns and increased sales.
US: Children's Place raises outlook despite Q1 profit fall
24 May 2013
Children's apparel retailer The Children's Place has lifted its full-year earnings guidance despite posting a 22.1% decline in first-quarter net profit.
BANGLADESH: Protests halt production at 25 apparel units
23 May 2013
Production at nearly 25 apparel factories in the Ashulia industrial belt on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka was suspended today (23 May) as labour unrest intensified.
US: Ralph Lauren Q4 profit surges 35%
23 May 2013
Luxury apparel and accessories business Ralph Lauren Corporation today (23 May) said its fourth-quarter profit surged 35%, even though falling wholesale orders and cold weather in Europe weighed on sales growth.
US: Rue21 to be taken private in $1.1bn deal
23 May 2013
Teen apparel retailer Rue21 is to be acquired by private equity firm Apax Partners for US$1.1bn, in a move that will enable it to expand its store portfolio and build an e-commerce platform.
SOUTH AFRICA: Clothing workers strike against low wages
23 May 2013
Around 10,000 South African clothing workers have taken part in a two-day strike this week to protest at wage levels that are below the minimum level.
US: Cato Q1 profit slips on weaker sales
23 May 2013
Value-priced fashion apparel The Cato Corporation has today (23 May) reported a 2.8% decline in first-quarter profit after cooler temperatures dampened sales.
US: Bon-Ton Stores Q1 loss narrows
23 May 2013
Department store retailer Bon-Ton Stores has seen its first-quarter losses narrow, boosted by higher sales and fewer markdowns.
US: JC Penney raises extra $500m on $2.25bn loan
23 May 2013
Department store retailer JC Penney has secured a five-year US$2.25bn loan - $500m more than it originally expected - as it looks to turn its struggling business around.
UK: Mothercare full-year loss narrows to GBP21.5m
23 May 2013
Mother, baby and children's goods retailer Mothercare has narrowed its first-quarter loss at the end of the first year into its three-year transformation plan, despite being hampered by ongoing challenges in its domestic market.
US: American Eagle Outfitters Q1 profit falls
23 May 2013
Teen apparel retailer American Eagle Outfitters has posted a 29.5% decline in first-quarter net profit, after cooler weather dampened demand for its seasonal merchandise.
US: Limited Brands lifts outlook on Q1 profit
23 May 2013
Limited Brands (now operating under a new temporary name L Brands) has lifted its full-year earnings guidance after posting a 14.4% increase in first-quarter net profit.
US: Pacific Sunwear Q1 loss widens on charges
23 May 2013
Teen sportswear retailer Pacific Sunwear has reported a wider first-quarter loss on the back of store closure costs and a loss on a derivative liability.
US: The Buckle Q1 profit falls despite sales growth
23 May 2013
Denim specialist The Buckle has today (23 May) posted a slight decline in first-quarter net profit, despite delivering higher sales than last year.
SWITZERLAND: Bluesign revises consumer chemical safety limits
23 May 2013
Swiss company Bluesign Technologies, which provides tools to help screen and manage chemicals used in the textile manufacturing process, has revised the consumer safety limits published in its BSSL (Bluesign System Substances List).
US: Surfwear maker Volcom adds to women's team
23 May 2013
Kering-owned skatewear brand Volcom has appointed former Billabong executive Mandy Fry to the newly-created position as vice president of its women's division.
CAMBODIA: H&M clothes linked to latest factory collapse
22 May 2013
A factory where a shelter collapsed earlier this week injuring 23 people was making clothes for Swedish fashion retailer H&M without its knowledge, the company has admitted.
Gap hopes for a global alliance on factory safety
22 May 2013
The chairman and CEO of US retail giant Gap Inc says he hasn't given up on the idea of a global accord to tackle fire and building safety in Bangladesh - but that the current agreement largely backed by European brands and retailers "didn't make sense for us."
