SGB Update Apparel

Gap CEO To Step Down

Gap Inc. announced that president and chief executive officer Sonia Syngal will step down from her position and from the company’s Board, departing the company following a brief transition. The company also announced that Horacio “Haio” Barbeito, formerly at Walmart, will join the Gap Inc. as president and chief executive officer of Old Navy.

JD Sports Appoints Chairman

JD Sports named Andrew Higginson, former Chair of supermarkets group Morrisons, as chairperson, replacing Peter Cowgill, ousted in May.

U.S. Ports Set Another Record

Imports set another record high this spring as the nation’s major container ports worked to reduce congestion and retailers stocked up before dockworkers’ West Coast labor contract expired, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation.

Levi Strauss Tops Wall Street Targets In Q2

Levi Strauss & Co. reported sales for its fiscal second quarter ended May 29 were up 15 percent and gained 20 percent on a constant-currency basis. Sales and earnings topped Wall Street targets, and Levi’s reaffirmed its guidance for the year.

Mastercard Sees June Sales Boosted By Inflation

According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment, U.S. consumer retail spending, excluding automotive, increased 9.5 percent year-over-year (YOY) in June, while retail sales, excluding auto and gas, rose 6.1 percent YOY.

Athleta Announces New Outlet Store Format

Athleta, owned by Gap, Inc., announced it would introduce two outlet stores this year, with a debut at Chicago Premium Outlets in Illinois this summer and Leesburg Premium Outlets in Virginia this fall.