Lane Bryant

It was, in a word used Thursday by chief executive officer James P. Fogarty, a controversy over cleavage . And boy, did it get the company that owns Lane Bryant some buzz. A commercial featuring a plus-size model in slinky lingerie aired during American Idol in late April and May, but only after a full-blown dustup over whether the ad, with skin shots galore, should be edited. "It was a gorgeous ad, very exciting," Fogarty said in an interview after the company that owns Lane Bryant, Charming Shoppes Inc., of Bensalem, released its quarterly earnings Thursday.

Ascena Retail Group Inc., which owns Dressbarn and several other apparel chains, said Wednesday that it was buying Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, and the other holdings of Bensalem-based Charming Shoppes Inc. in an $890 million deal that would create one of the nation's largest specialty retail corporations. In a joint call with investors, executives of Charming Shoppes and Suffern, N.Y.-based Ascena, both publicly traded companies, did not say how many jobs might be eliminated as a result of the proposed sale, which is expected to close by June and will result in a company with about 4,400 stores employing 54,000 associates nationwide and in Canada.

The Bensalem-based company that owns Fashion Bug said Thursday that it planned to sell or eliminate the struggling retail chain while focusing efforts to grow its more profitable plus-size Lane Bryant apparel brand. Executives with Charming Shoppes Inc. said they had hired financial adviser Barclays Capital to perform a strategic review of the entire corporation. The only immediate pledge was to divest Fashion Bug, which garnered about $600 million of the company's $2 billion in sales a year ago. The announcements were made in tandem with the release of quarterly earnings that showed Fashion Bug sales down, presumably as its lower-income customers became more financially squeezed, while sales at the more specialized Lane Bryant chain were stable.

Charming Shoppes Inc. said yesterday that it had a 98 percent drop in third-quarter profit despite a 51 percent increase in sales that reflects its acquisition of the Lane Bryant chain. Executives of the Bensalem company, the largest U.S. operator of stores specializing in plus-size women's apparel, said the results reflected a "weak retail environment" that required heavy promotion and discounting to move merchandise. Gayle Coolick, director of investor relations, told retailing analysts in a conference call yesterday that the company registered good sales of plus-size clothing, which it sells through Lane Bryant, Catherine's Plus Sizes, The Answer, Added Dimensions, and Fashion Bug Plus stores.

Dorrit J. Bern envisions a future where her typical customer wakes up each morning under Lane Bryant sheets, makes breakfast using a Lane Bryant toaster, dresses in Lane Bryant clothes, and sprays on Lane Bryant cologne before dashing out the door. And when she is relaxing at home, she reads Figure, the magazine that Lane Bryant's parent, Charming Shoppes Inc., launched in 2003 for plus-size women. "The idea is we can truly become, with the power of the existing brands, a lifestyle player for women," Bern, chairwoman and chief executive officer of Charming Shoppes Inc., said in a recent interview.

Women's clothing retailer Charming Shoppes Inc. said yesterday that its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings rose 30 percent because of improved gross and operating profit margins in its retail stores. Net income for the quarter ended Feb. 3 rose to $24.9 million, or 19 cents a share, from $19.2 million, or 15 cents a share, in the year-earlier quarter. Net sales rose to $874 million from $799.6 million. The fourth quarter included 14 weeks, compared with 13 weeks in the fourth quarter a year earlier.

Charming Shoppes Inc., the Bensalem retailer of women's plus-size apparel, reported a sharp percentage increase yesterday in fourth-quarter profit, the result of closing stores, laying off employees, and increasing sales at its Lane Bryant division. The company also owns Fashion Bug and Catherine's Plus Sizes stores. Charming Shoppes' net income for its 2004 fiscal year that ended Jan. 31 also rose sharply compared with the year before, when the company took a $46 million charge related to accounting changes.

After a year of sales and profit declines, plus-size-apparel retailer Charming Shoppes Inc. said yesterday that it would turn to American Idol to draw customers to its Lane Bryant clothing shops. The Bensalem-based company, whose 2,121 stores also include Fashion Bug and Catherines outlets, said it planned to spend $4 million on Lane Bryant ads during the nationally televised talent competition in the coming weeks. The marketing move, announced during a quarterly and year-end earnings call, comes as the company has closed stores nationwide and slashed costs while trying to cope with fewer customers.

Making bold, decisive moves has never daunted Dorrit J. Bern. When she became chief executive officer of Charming Shoppes Inc. in 1995, she had to quickly restructure its debt and overhaul operations to keep the Bensalem company out of bankruptcy. This summer, she bought the Lane Bryant chain of clothing stores from The Limited Inc., a move that makes Charming Shoppes the nation's largest retailer of plus-size clothing for women. So what does an action-oriented executive do when sales plummet because customers suddenly stay home, glued to the news on their TVs, many of them worried about losing their jobs?

Americans are getting bigger and busier, and retailers such as Charming Shoppes Inc., which specializes in women's plus-size apparel, are directly benefiting, according to its chief executive officer. Dorrit J. Bern, chairwoman, CEO and president of the Bensalem chain, has seen sales and profit margins rise for the company's Lane Bryant and Catherines Plus Sizes brands. Demand for larger-size clothes is rising in part because Americans themselves are larger. "A lot of it just has to do with the American lifestyle," Bern said yesterday, referring to fast food and lack of exercise.

Ascena Retail Group Inc., which owns Dressbarn and several other apparel chains, said Wednesday that it was buying Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, and the other holdings of Bensalem-based Charming Shoppes Inc. in an $890 million deal that would create one of the nation's largest specialty retail corporations. In a joint call with investors, executives of Charming Shoppes and Suffern, N.Y.-based Ascena, both publicly traded companies, did not say how many jobs might be eliminated as a result of the proposed sale, which is expected to close by June and will result in a company with about 4,400 stores employing 54,000 associates nationwide and in Canada.

Charming Shoppes Inc. said Tuesday that its Lane Bryant stores did not do as well as expected during the holiday shopping season, and executives gave investors little information when asked about ongoing efforts to sell the company's Fashion Bug division. The Bensalem-based retailer reported that it was unprofitable in the year that ended Jan. 28, during which it closed 207 stores and said it would seek to divest Fashion Bug. In its financial filings, the company, which also owns Catherines stores, said it planned to close another 90 to 105 stores this year as it continues efforts to focus on the Lane Bryant chain.

The Bensalem-based company that owns Fashion Bug said Thursday that it planned to sell or eliminate the struggling retail chain while focusing efforts to grow its more profitable plus-size Lane Bryant apparel brand. Executives with Charming Shoppes Inc. said they had hired financial adviser Barclays Capital to perform a strategic review of the entire corporation. The only immediate pledge was to divest Fashion Bug, which garnered about $600 million of the company's $2 billion in sales a year ago. The announcements were made in tandem with the release of quarterly earnings that showed Fashion Bug sales down, presumably as its lower-income customers became more financially squeezed, while sales at the more specialized Lane Bryant chain were stable.

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It was, in a word used Thursday by chief executive officer James P. Fogarty, a controversy over cleavage . And boy, did it get the company that owns Lane Bryant some buzz. A commercial featuring a plus-size model in slinky lingerie aired during American Idol in late April and May, but only after a full-blown dustup over whether the ad, with skin shots galore, should be edited. "It was a gorgeous ad, very exciting," Fogarty said in an interview after the company that owns Lane Bryant, Charming Shoppes Inc., of Bensalem, released its quarterly earnings Thursday.

After a year of sales and profit declines, plus-size-apparel retailer Charming Shoppes Inc. said yesterday that it would turn to American Idol to draw customers to its Lane Bryant clothing shops. The Bensalem-based company, whose 2,121 stores also include Fashion Bug and Catherines outlets, said it planned to spend $4 million on Lane Bryant ads during the nationally televised talent competition in the coming weeks. The marketing move, announced during a quarterly and year-end earnings call, comes as the company has closed stores nationwide and slashed costs while trying to cope with fewer customers.

It was a tough day at Charming Shoppes Inc. The Bensalem women's-apparel retailer yesterday lost a key executive to a local rival; announced that it was cutting its management staff by 150, or 13 percent; and would be closing 150 stores, 100 of them in its popular Fashion Bug chain. It also cut back plans for new stores, reducing this year's capital spending 30 percent. And the company's stock declined almost 6 percent. Charming Shoppes and analysts blamed the moves on "the continuing weak retail and economic environment.

Shares in Charming Shoppes Inc. fell 13 percent yesterday after the Bensalem retailer reduced its second-quarter sales and earnings projection for the second time. The new estimate of 12 or 13 cents a share is half the amount Charming Shoppes predicted in May and a third less than a June estimate. In response to the dismal outlook, investors sent the shares down $1.24 to a 52-week low of $8.15. The shares have been sliding since last fall, when they reached $15.35. Charming Shoppes, whose brands include Lane Bryant and Fashion Bug, blamed lighter-than-expected store traffic, "with accelerating weakness in July," forcing big discounts on spring and summer merchandise.

Women's clothing retailer Charming Shoppes Inc. said yesterday that its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings rose 30 percent because of improved gross and operating profit margins in its retail stores. Net income for the quarter ended Feb. 3 rose to $24.9 million, or 19 cents a share, from $19.2 million, or 15 cents a share, in the year-earlier quarter. Net sales rose to $874 million from $799.6 million. The fourth quarter included 14 weeks, compared with 13 weeks in the fourth quarter a year earlier.