Signs of Hope
PVH Corp.
“I am happy with the inflection we’ve seen in the [North American] business. We started to see a turn in our retail business in the second quarter and we saw even stronger momentum during the third.” — Emanuel Chirico, ceo, on Nov. 30

The new Calvin Klein store in Shanghai. Courtesy Photo
American Eagle Outfitters Inc.
“The third quarter produced record sales.…I’m very pleased to see strong momentum continue into the fourth quarter, positioning us well for the next few critical weeks of the holiday season.” — Jay Schottenstein, ceo, on Dec. 6

AE Studio at Union Square. George Chinsee/WWD
G-III Apparel Group
“We are pleased with our third-quarter results, which surpassed our plan….Overall, we are positioned for a good fourth quarter as our products continue to sell well in stores throughout the country.” — Morris Goldfarb, ceo, on Dec. 5

A fall ad image from DKNY. Courtesy
Neiman Marcus Group
“In this very challenging retail environment, we delivered positive growth for the first time in a couple of years.” — Karen Katz, ceo, on Nov. 21, referring to the fiscal first quarter

A Neiman Marcus Last Call store. Alan Diaz/AP/REX/Shutterstock
Signs of Nope
Ascena Retail Group Inc.
“We were unable to capitalize on the improving macro traffic environment due to fashion missteps that we cannot afford in today’s environment.” — David Jaffe, ceo, bemoaning a “disappointing” fiscal first quarter, on Dec. 4.

Ann Taylor’s shoe showroom at Garden State Plaza. Courtesy Photo
Bon-Ton Stores Inc.
“The third quarter fell short of our expectations….We expect to implement a significant store rationalization program and plan to close at least 40 locations through 2018.” — William Tracy, ceo, on Nov. 16

A Bon-Ton store. Courtesy Photo
J. Crew Group Inc.
“To drive top-line growth, we must evolve our business model from a traditional brick-and-mortar specialty retailer to a digital-first omnichannel business…with a more appropriately sized real estate footprint.” — Michael Nicholson, chief operating officer, on Nov. 21

J. Crew Daily Mail/REX/Shutterstock
Hudson’s Bay Co.
“While Saks Fifth Avenue and Hudson’s Bay are performing well, our overall third-quarter results did not meet our expectations,” Richard Baker, HBC’s governor, executive chairman and interim ceo

Lord & Taylor flagship on Fifth Avenue. AP