Reuters - Liz Claiborne Inc on Wednesday said fourth-quarter profit fell as the apparel maker took a charge related to accounting for stock options.

Reuters - Apparel retailer Gap Inc. said on Friday that two vice presidents had left the company and one is on leave and planned to return at a later date.

Reuters - Limited Brands Inc. , the owner of the Limited and Victoria's Secret apparel chains, said on Thursday it will consider opening freestanding stores for its Pink line of casual clothing.

Reuters - Limited Brands Inc. on Wednesday reported higher fourth-quarter earnings as the apparel retailer benefited from a tax gain and said it appeared many gift cards would never be used.

AP - Urban Outfitters Inc. refuses to grow old. While other retailers might scramble after the Baby Boomer market, the youth apparel, housewares and accessories retailer expects future growth to come mainly from young shoppers — and it's not going to age with them.

Reuters - Women's apparel maker Liz Claiborne Inc is courting high-end designer Vera Wang over a potential bid for her company, the New York Post reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources.

Reuters - Rising demand for jeweled shoes, wedge heels and boots of all stripes fueled 2005 U.S. sales growth of footwear that nearly tripled apparel, said a market research company on Friday.

AP - A national retail industry trade association filed suit Tuesday challenging a Maryland law designed to pressure Wal-Mart to spend more money on health care for its employees.

AP - Talbots Inc. said Monday it has agreed to acquire women's apparel retailer J. Jill Group Inc. for about $517 million, trumping an earlier unsolicited offer from Liz Claiborne Inc., which said it's not inclined to sweeten its bid.

AP - Apparel retailer Talbots Inc. said Monday it agreed to acquire J. Jill Group Inc., a women's clothing retailer, for about $517 million in cash, trumping an earlier offer from Liz Claiborne Inc.

AP - The nation's retailers reported better-than-expected sales in January, as shoppers armed with holiday gift cards and lured by mild weather returned to stores and malls in search of clearance and spring merchandise. The shopping surge wasn't expected to last, however, as consumers face higher interest rates, a cooling housing market and high energy costs in the months ahead.

AP - Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, said Thursday that it will use a different method for calculating same-store sales, the most widely watched gauge of a retailer's health.

AP - Teen apparel retailer Buckle Inc. on Thursday said sales at its stores open at least a year, known as same-store sales, grew 3 percent in January.

AP - Consumers, many armed with gift cards, returned to stores and malls in January, buying clearance items and spring apparel and giving many retailers a solid sales boost for the month.

Reuters - Apparel retailer Gap Inc. on Wednesday said it had reached deals to expand its Gap and Banana Republic brands into two Southeast Asian markets.

Reuters - Apparel retailer Gap Inc. on Wednesday said it had reached deals to expand its Gap and Banana Republic brands into two Southeast Asian markets.

Reuters - Apparel retailer Gap Inc. , which has been looking to bolster flagging sales, said on Wednesday it introduced a line of clothing for tall and petite women at its Web site.

Reuters - After a tepid holiday shopping season, U.S. retailers are hoping that an earlier launch of full-price spring apparel will attract shoppers with gift cards in hand and break the industry's recent reliance on discounting.

Reuters - A dearth of must-have fashions and stronger demand for electronics may have trimmed holiday apparel sales, likely disappointing retailers who hoped to cash in on the traditional year-end bounce, analysts said Tuesday.