NEW YORK (AP) – Aeropostale, once the vibrant epicenter of the U.S. mall scene, is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and closing 20 percent of its stores in North America.

The New York company said Wednesday that it is closing 113 of its 739 U.S. stores and all 41 locations in Canada. Going-out-of-business sales at those U.S. stores will begin this weekend.

2. These Retailers Could Use Some Holiday Cheer - Friday, December 5, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) – The holiday shopping season is always a make-or-break period for struggling retailers.

But this year, the fight to grab shoppers has intensified, making it difficult for stores to use the season that accounts for about 20 percent of the retail industry's annual sales to bounce back.

3. Retailers of All Stripes Sing Holiday Blues - Friday, January 10, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) – Several major retailers slashed their fiscal fourth-quarter profit forecasts this week in the latest sign that Americans didn't spend briskly during the holiday shopping season.

4. Retailers See Slow Start to Back-to-School Season - Friday, August 9, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – Shoppers are holding off on back-to-school shopping, and those who delay long enough might be rewarded with some steep discounts from desperate retailers.

Revenue at stores open at least a year – an industry measure of a retailer's health– rose 3.8 percent in July, the slowest pace since March, according to a preliminary tally of 10 retailers by the International Council of Shopping Centers. The figure, which excludes drugstores, was below a 5.5 percent increase in June.

5. Clearances, Heat Lured Shoppers to Spend in July - Friday, August 3, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Americans shoppers proved resilient in July, driving a key sales figure up at retailers across the country, despite persistent worry about jobs and the global economy.

Results came in better than expected for many retailers, helped by hot weather and summer clearance sales, an encouraging sign as the back-to-school season, the second-biggest shopping season behind the holidays, kicks off.

6. Mobile Shopping: More Buzz Than Buy so Far - Friday, September 2, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – When it comes to mobile shopping, so far there's more buzz than buy.

As the number of people who use iPhones and other smartphones grows, companies selling everything from hardware to high fashion are touting all the new applications they're rolling out that enable shoppers to do anything from check a store's inventory while in the dressing room to order prescriptions.

7. Heavy Discounts Fuel Only Modest Retail Gains - Friday, November 5, 2010

NEW YORK (AP) – Americans took a pause in shopping in October, leaving retailers with their weakest peformance since April as unsually warm weather depressed their appetite for cold weather items.

8. Kohl's Boosts Holiday Hiring by 21 Percent in 2010 - Thursday, October 7, 2010

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. (AP) — Kohl's Corp. is increasing its holiday hiring this season by 21 percent, another major retailer to boost its employee count this winter.

The department store chain said Wednesday it expects to hire more than 40,000 people this season, up from 33,000 last year.

9. Service Sector Growth Accelerates in September - Wednesday, October 6, 2010

NEW YORK (AP) – The U.S. service sector, the nation's predominant employer, expanded in September for a ninth straight month, although the growth has not been consistent enough to dent the high unemployment rate.

10. Holiday Hiring Picture Gets a Bit Merrier - Monday, October 4, 2010

NEW YORK (AP) – The holiday hiring picture looks a bit merrier this year.

Macy's, Toys R Us, Pier 1, American Eagle Outfitters and Borders all plan to hire more temporary holiday workers this year than last, emboldened by several months of sales gains and a slowly improving economy.

11. New Claims for Jobless Benefits Rise to 479K - Friday, August 6, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – Initial requests for jobless benefits rose last week to their highest level since April, a sign that hiring in the U.S. remains weak and some companies are still cutting workers.

12. Retailers Post Choppy June, Start to Discount More - Friday, July 9, 2010

NEW YORK (AP) — Stores steepened discounts more than planned in June to help drive recession-scarred customers into the malls to buy summer merchandise. But shoppers spent cautiously amid escalating job worries, resulting in modest gains for many merchants.

13. Americans Spend More in May, See Incomes Rise - Tuesday, June 29, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – Americans spent a little more in May but not enough to speed along the economic recovery.

Consumer spending rose 0.2 percent last month after no change in April, the Commerce Department said Monday.

14. Retail Sales Drop 1.2 Percent in May - Monday, June 14, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – Retail sales plunged in May by the largest amount in eight months as consumers slashed spending on everything from cars to clothing. The big drop raises new worries about the durability of the economic recovery.

15. Retailers' Reports Show Tepid May for Shoppers - Friday, June 4, 2010

NEW YORK (AP) - Americans, uninspired by cool weather and feeling fresh concerns about the economy, spent with caution in May after a tepid April.

Retailers' May sales reports, released Thursday, underscore how fragile the consumer spending recovery remains.

16. Retailers' Stores Thinly Stocked; Profits Won't Be - Tuesday, December 29, 2009

ATLANTA (AP) - Retailers have thin inventories after coming out of Christmas with slightly better-than-expected sales.

Some retailers kept inventory so low they've had to bring in new merchandise to restock shelves, a rare move this soon after Christmas.

17. Holiday Shopping Off to Mildly Encouraging Start - Tuesday, December 1, 2009

NEW YORK (AP) - After shoppers gave retailers a somewhat encouraging start to the holiday shopping season, stores now turn their attention to the online promotions known as Cyber Monday and bringing back customers the rest of the season.

18. Retailers See Sales Begin to Recover in September - Friday, October 9, 2009

NEW YORK (AP) - The nation's stores saw their first sales gain in 14 months in September, a sign of life from shoppers that fuels some hope for the holiday shopping season.

A late Labor Day and delayed school openings helped boost back-to-school sales in September. And stores' figures are looking better as they are compared last September when spending plummeted amid the ballooning financial meltdown.

19. US Shoppers Stay Cautious, But Sales Declines Ease - Friday, April 10, 2009

NEW YORK (AP) - March same-store sales fell for the sixth straight month, as U.S. consumers continued to shop cautiously and stick mostly to necessities such as food, but there were some glimmers of stabilization in retailers' reports on Thursday.

20. Retailers Report Sales Declines in February - Friday, March 6, 2009

NEW YORK (AP) - Tighter inventory control and milder weather helped retailers in February as business at many merchants was not as bad as in January. Wal-Mart's gains far outpaced expectations – but many stores, especially at the higher end, still struggled.

21. Abercrombie & Fitch Q4 Profit Drops 68% - Monday, February 16, 2009

Teen retailer Abercrombie & Fitch Co., which resisted the steep discounts its competitors offered during the holiday season, said Friday its fourth-quarter profit slid 68 percent as sales slumped.

22. National Retailers Clear Out Inventory - Tuesday, December 30, 2008

After a weak holiday, the day after Christmas may have been the busiest shopping day of the season, allowing retailers to clear out old inventory, an analyst said Monday.

Many consumers have been scaling back on their spending, and retailers have cut prices to try and lure shoppers into their stores. Heavy snowstorms across much of the U.S. in recent weeks have further dampened shoppers’ enthusiasm.

23. Sector Snap: Specialty Apparel - Tuesday, November 11, 2008

NEW YORK (AP) - Shares of specialty apparel retailers were mixed Monday, ahead of several fiscal third-quarter earnings reports.

After many retailers reported dismal October sales in stores open at least on year, a key retail metric known as same-store sales, last week, analysts are pessimistic about third-quarter results. However, shares are down so much over the past several months, few expect retailers' stocks to fall a significant amount further.

24. Vanishing Jobs, Stressed Consumers Feed Downturn - Monday, November 10, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's unemployment rate is at a 14-year high, General Motors reported a massive third-quarter loss and says it may run out of cash next year, and Ford is planning more job cuts after burning through billions of its own.

25. Retailers Slash Prices, But at What Cost - Wednesday, September 3, 2008

NEW YORK (AP) - In a bid to pull hesitant shoppers into their stores, retailers are slashing prices on everything from jeans to dinnerware. But those fat discounts will likely come at a big cost for the companies.

26. Retailers Amp Up Promotions for Back-to-School - Thursday, August 7, 2008

NEW YORK (AP) - Retailers preparing for a difficult back-to-school season are getting creative in their attempts to entice shoppers into the stores - aggressively introducing new products, slashing prices and amping up marketing in the battle for parents' bucks.

27. Retailers Report May Results Above Expectations - Friday, June 6, 2008

NEW YORK (AP) – Consumers stepped up their shopping in May after tax rebate checks began hitting mailboxes, giving many of the nation’s retailers stronger than expected sales for the month. Still, there were signs that many people still are focusing on necessities such as food and gas.

28. Archived Article: Back - Wednesday, October 30, 1996
Galleria announces Galleria announces first group of stores Urban Shopping Centers Inc., owner of the Wolfchase Galleria under construction at I-40 and Germantown Parkway, announced Tuesday many of the new stores that will open in the mall Feb. 26. ...