BIRMINGHAM

Simply Fashion Stores has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and said it plans to liquidate substantially all of its assets. The Birmingham, Ala.-based urban fashion retailer, which operates nearly 250 stores in 25 states, said declining sales was one of the primary factors behind the bankruptcy. In a court filing, the restructuring officer for the retailer said the company expects some Simply Fashion locations will be forced to close as part of the process. The filing didn't disclose how many stores would close. The company has 1,332 employees.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Cold weather affected Hibbett Sports' first quarter results for the period ended May 4, but the sporting goods retailer still saw net sales of $240 million, a 3% increase from $233...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Books-A-Million has named Mary Jane Karwoski as VP human resources. Karwoski will be responsible for overseeing employee relations, compensation, benefits, training and development and recruiting for Books-A-Million. “I am excited to...

Regional sporting goods chain Hibbett Sports plans to begin construction this fall on a new distribution facility that will support more than 2,000 stores. Hibbett on Monday announced plans to build, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, a wholesaling and logistics facility in Alabaster, Alabama. Construction on the new 360,000 square-foot facility is expected to commence in fall 2012 and be fully operational by fall 2014.  

Books-A-Million Inc. (Nasdaq: BAMM) today reported that it trimmed its losses in the first quarter, partly thanks to the popular book series, the Hunger Games. The Birmingham-based book retailer said its net loss improved to $1.9 million in the first quarter from a loss of $3.4 million in the same quarter of 2011. The company closed the gap largely on the strength of its net sales, which rose 10.5 percent to $113.1 million in the first quarter from $102.4 million as people bought Hunger Games books...