J. Crew Group, Inc.

J.Crew has named former head of Victoria's Secret and retail industry veteran Jan Singer as its new chief executive officer, effective Feb. 2, reports CNN. Singer is an experienced consumer, brand and retail leader, CEO and board member, having previously served in leadership positions at SPANX, Nike, Reebok, Kate Spade and other retailers. J.Crew has been searching…

J.Crew announced last week that it has filed documents with regulators to prepare for an initial public offering for its fast-growing denim brand, Madewell. According to the filing with the SEC, Chinos Holdings, J.Crew's subsidiary, will be renamed Madewell before the IPO. The company didn't disclose the size of the offering or its target price range, but said it…

Retail product returns (i.e., reverse logistics) are a crucial component of the overall relationship between customer and retailer. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), Americans returned $260 billion in merchandise last year, a 66 percent increase from five years ago, and a quarter of that was during the holiday season. The significant increase in…

Last year was grim for retailers. This year could be even worse. Despite a late surge in holiday sales, companies like J.Crew and 99 Cents Only Stores are struggling under debt they took on in leveraged buyouts years ago. Their bond prices have plummeted as investors brace for possible defaults. The industry has been limping along for…

With this being the last issue of Total Retail Report of 2015 (it returns on Mon., Jan. 4), we thought it would be a good time to put together a list of our most popular content of the year. This content is ranked in order based on the number of page views. Our best wishes…

After widespread backlash for posting pictures of his partying after massive layoffs at J.Crew's corporate headquarters, the clothier's vice president of men's merchandising has been fired, a source with information on the situation told CNBC. Alejandro Rhett came under fire after posting photos to Instagram that seemingly made light of the 175 J.Crew firings that…

No industry has been more transfigured in the past year than retail. Stores now behave like websites, tracking consumers as they browse. American malls have pretty much died (but may be on their way back to life). And in some parts of the country you can have your milk and eggs delivered to your home, along with your new iPod, on the same day. Those who lead the field strike the right balance between physical and digital, experience and affordability, and convenience and quality. 

J. Crew reported a $29.9 million loss in its fiscal first quarter, compared to a profit of $44.7 million in the year-ago period. The apparel retailer said the loss was due to markdowns to clear out excess inventory and charges related to being acquired. J. Crew went private in March in a $3 billion deal with two private equity firms.

Today J. Crew launched its online factory store, offering bargain-hunters the option to pick and click at their leisure — through the weekend at least. Open every weekend from 12 a.m. Friday to Sunday at midnight (EST), the site will offer a limited selection of some of J. Crew's most popular pieces, produced exclusively for the factory at reduced prices.

A host of retailers are stretching their brands into uncharted product categories and into new lines of business. With store expansion on the back burner, retailers are turning to fresh avenues for growth, betting that their brand equity will carry over to new product categories.