The Ascena Retail Group investor presentation will be webcast live and can be accessed at http://www.ascenaretail.com

On May 15, 2012, Merger Sub commenced a tender offer (the "Offer") for all outstanding shares of common stock of the Company (the "Common Stock") at a purchase price of $7.35, net per share in cash, without interest and subject to any required withholding taxes. The Offer is scheduled to expire at 12:00 midnight, Eastern Standard Time, on June 12, 2012, unless extended. The consummation of the Offer is conditioned on the tender of a majority of shares of Common Stock on a fully diluted basis (as defined in the Merger Agreement), as well as the satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions.

Following the successful consummation of the Offer, Merger Sub is expected to merge with and into the Company (the "Merger"), and the outstanding shares of Common Stock not tendered in the Offer will be converted into the right to receive $7.35 net per share in cash, without interest and subject to any required withholding taxes, as paid in the Offer (the "Offer Price").

The Company anticipates that the Fundamental Change will occur on the date that Merger Sub consummates the purchase of Common Stock pursuant to the Offer (the "Effective Date"), which is expected to occur on or after June 14, 2012. Pursuant to the Indenture, the holders of the Notes have the right to convert their Notes according to the terms of the Indenture at any time from and after the date that is 30 calendar days prior to the Effective Date until and including the close of business on the business day that immediately precedes the date on which such holders may require the repurchase of their Notes as discussed below.  Each of the Offer and Merger is subject to certain closing conditions and there can be no assurance that the Offer or the Merger will be consummated on the expected dates, or at all.

Under the Indenture, the conversion rate for the Notes is subject to a make-whole adjustment if certain thresholds are met.  Since the Offer Price is $7.35 per share, the holders of the Notes will not be entitled to a make-whole adjustment and the Notes are convertible at the rate of 65.0233 shares per $1,000 principal amount of Notes.  This is equivalent to a conversion price of $15.38 per share.  The Company does not anticipate that holders of the Notes will elect to convert because the holders of the Notes will be entitled to receive consideration with a greater value upon a repurchase of the Notes following a Fundamental Change at such holders' option as required under the Indenture as compared to the payment they would be entitled to receive following a conversion of their Notes. 

At April 28, 2012 Charming Shoppes, Inc. operated 1,832 retail stores in 48 states under the names LANE BRYANT®, CACIQUE®, LANE BRYANT OUTLET®, FASHION BUG®, FASHION BUG PLUS®, and CATHERINES PLUS SIZES®. The company also operates the Figi's family of brands, including the holiday food and gifts catalog Figi's® Gifts in Good Taste®, the home and gifts catalog Figi's® Gallery and its wholesale unit Figi's Business Services. For more information about Charming Shoppes and its brands, please visit www.charmingshoppes.com, www.lanebryant.com, www.cacique.com, www.fashionbug.com, www.catherines.com, www.loop18.com, www.figis.com, and www.figisgallery.com.

Thank you for reading this fashion company news on the Fashion Newspaper.

A live webcast will be accessible at www.guess.com via the "Investor Relations" link.  A replay of the conference will be archived on the website for 30 days.

Guess?, Inc. designs, markets, distributes and licenses a lifestyle collection of contemporary apparel, denim, handbags, watches, footwear and other related consumer products.  Guess? products are distributed through branded Guess? stores as well as better department and specialty stores around the world.  As of April 28, 2012, the Company directly operated 503 retail stores in the United States and Canada and 264 retail stores in Europe, Asia and Latin America.  The Company's licensees and distributors operated an additional 828 retail stores outside of the United States and Canada. For more information about the Company, please visit www.guess.com.

Thank you for reading this fashion news on the Fashion Newspaper.

The Company will also provide additional details concerning its first quarter 2012 results and business outlook on a conference call to be held on Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time.  Participants may listen to a real time audio webcast of the conference call by visiting the Investors section of the Company's website located at www.rossstores.com.

A recorded version of the call will also be available at the website address, as well as via a telephone recording at 404-537-3406, Passcode #80147849, through 8:00 p.m. Eastern time on May 24, 2012.

The phone number for the call is 866-843-0890.  International callers should use 412-317-9250.  The Elite Entry number, 8461975, is required in order to join the conference call. Interested participants should call 10-15 minutes prior to the 8:30 a.m. start in order to be placed in queue.

The live call is also being webcast over the Internet by Thomson Street Events and is being delivered over their investor distribution network.  Individual investors can listen to the webcast at www.earnings.com.  Institutional subscribers can access the webcast at www.streetevents.com.   The webcast will also be available at the Events Calendar page of the Chico's FAS, Inc. corporate Web site, www.chicosfas.com.  

ABOUT CHICO'S FAS, INC.

The Company, through its brands – Chico's, White House | Black Market, Soma Intimates, and Boston Proper, is a women's specialty retailer of private branded, sophisticated, casual-to-dressy clothing, intimates, complementary accessories, and other non-clothing items.

The Chico's brand offers women a combination of great style, one-of-a-kind details and warm personal service. Chico's currently operates 605 boutiques and 86 outlets throughout the U.S., publishes a monthly catalog and offers round-the-clock shopping at www.chicos.com.

White House | Black Market strives to make women feel beautiful with apparel and accessories in the honest simplicity of black and white and the individuality of styles built from it. White House | Black Market currently operates 374 boutiques and 31 outlets, publishes a catalog highlighting its latest fashions and connects with customers at www.whbm.com.

Soma Intimates offers beautiful and sensual lingerie, loungewear and beauty. Soma Intimates currently operates 178 boutiques and 15 outlets, publishes a catalog coinciding with key shopping periods and sells direct-to-consumer at www.soma.com.  

Boston Proper is a leading direct-to-consumer retailer of women's high-end apparel and accessories. Boston Proper provides unique, distinctive fashion designed for today's independent, confident and active woman. The merchandise focus is about creating a daring, modern style with a sensual feel and is available exclusively through the Boston Proper catalog and website, www.bostonproper.com.

Learn more about Chico's on the Plus Dragon fashion scales.

Investors and analysts interested in participating in the call are invited to dial (877) 705-6003 approximately ten minutes prior to the start of the call.  The conference call will also be webcast live at: http://www.express.com/investor and remain available for 90 days.  A telephone replay of this call will be available at 12:00 p.m. ET on May 22, 2012 until 11:59 p.m. ET on May 29, 2012 and can be accessed by dialing (877) 870–5176 and entering replay pin number 393916.

Learn more about Express on Plus Dragon.

About Express, Inc.

Express is a specialty apparel and accessories retailer of women's and men's merchandise, targeting the 20 to 30 year old customer.  The Company has over 30 years of experience offering a distinct combination of fashion and quality for multiple lifestyle occasions at an attractive value addressing fashion needs across work, casual, jeanswear, and going-out occasions.  The Company currently operates over 600 retail stores, located primarily in high-traffic shopping malls, lifestyle centers, and street locations across the United States, in Canada and in Puerto Rico, and also distributes its products through the Company's e-commerce website, www.express.com.

On a consolidated nine-month basis, the Company reported:

• A 23.5% net sales increase to $130.9 million from $106.0 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2011;
• Net earnings jumped 68.1% to $14.1 million, or $1.24 per diluted share, versus net earnings of $8.4 million, or $0.75 per diluted share, in the comparable period last year;
• Gross profit as a percent of net sales rose 600 basis points to 43.1% from 37.1% one year ago; and 
• Selling, general and administrative expenses of $33.2 million, or 25.3% of net sales, were up 50 basis points from $26.4 million, or 24.8% of net sales, in the equivalent period last year.

For the third quarter, the Company's consolidated results included:

• A 24.9% increase in net sales to $25.1 million versus $20.1 million one year ago;
• Net earnings of $834,000, or $0.07 per diluted share, up from break-even in the corresponding period last year; and
• Significantly improved gross profit as a percent of sales at 44.6% compared to 39.4% in the equivalent quarter of fiscal 2011.

The Company said that net sales in its Footwear segment rose 3.4% during the nine months to $107.2 million from $103.7 million in the comparable period last year, yielding a 350 basis point improvement in gross profit as a percentage of net sales at 40.0%. In its Accessories segment, which includes Foot Petals and baggallini, acquired in January and March last year, respectively, the Company recorded nine-month net sales of $23.8 million, yielding a 57.2% gross profit as a percentage of net sales.

The Company's balance sheet reflected:

• Cash and short-term investments of $40.2 million compared to $28.4 million one year ago;
• Consolidated inventory of $17.0 million was down 16.5% versus one year ago. The inventory was comprised of $10.3 million in footwear and $6.7 in accessories; and
• Net shareholders' equity of $75.8 million, up 23.2% from $61.5 million at the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2011.

Management Comments
"Our strong performance through the first nine months of this fiscal year has positioned RG Barry for a great 2012," said Greg Tunney, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Both segments of our business are performing at or above our expectations despite the mixed retail and economic environments."

"This is one of the best March-ending earnings performances in the Company's 65-year history" added Jose Ibarra, Senior Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer. "Growth in the department store and mass channels of our footwear business, along with the operating performance of the accessories segment, has increased our confidence that the current business model will allow us to achieve our financial goals."

Mr. Tunney added, "We have continued to deliver improved results, but our goal goes beyond beating the prior year's quarter. Our vision is much longer-term. It is of making our Company a highly profitable and growing force in the accessories category over the next 3-to-5 years. We plan to continue increasing our strategic investments in our existing businesses and seeking out and acquiring successful, category-appropriate brands with our long-term objectives in mind."  

Conference Call/Webcast Today
R.G. Barry Corporation senior management will conduct a conference call for all interested parties at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time today. Management will discuss the Company's performance, its plans for the future and will accept questions from participants. The conference call is available at (800) 860-2442 in the U.S., (866) 605-3852 in Canada and +1 (412) 858-4600 internationally until five minutes before starting time. To listen via the Internet, log on to http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=87016.

Replays of the call will be available several hours after its completion. The audio replay can be accessed through 9 a.m. Eastern Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 877.344.7529 (U.S.) and +1.412.317.0088 (international); ask for conference number 10013776. Replays and a written transcript of the call will be posted for up to one year at the Investor Room section of rgbarry.com.

About RG Barry
RG Barry develops great accessories brands that provide fashionable, solution-oriented products that touch consumers. Our primary brands include: Dearfoams slippers dearfoams.com; baggallini handbags, totes and travel accessories baggallini.com; and Foot Petals premium insoles and comfort products footpetals.com.  To learn more, visit us at rgbarry.com.

Thank you for reading this apparel company news on the Fashion Newspaper.

Investors and analysts interested in participating in the call are invited to dial (800) 860-2442 approximately ten minutes prior to the start of the call. The conference call will also be webcast live at: http://dswinc.investorroom.com and remain available for 30 days.  A telephone replay of this call will be available until 9:00 a.m. (EDT) on May 29, 2012 and can be accessed by dialing (877) 344-7529 and entering conference number 10013888.

Thank you for reading this footwear retailer news on the Fashion Newspaper.

Learn more about DSW on Plus Dragon.

"Our business at Macy's and Bloomingdale's continues to perform very well and sales in April met our expectations," said Terry J. Lundgren, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Macy's, Inc. "Our customers continue to respond to fresh fashion merchandise. Our assortment is trend-right and distinctive, which is a testament to the skill and experience of our central merchants, as well as the continued success of our My Macy's field organization in tailoring merchandise by store. We continue to see the power of our omnichannel strategy in driving sales online and in the stores."

For the first quarter, Macy's, Inc.'s sales totaled $6.147 billion, up 4.4 percent from total sales of $5.889 billion in the first 13 weeks of 2011. On a same-store basis, Macy's, Inc.'s first quarter sales were up 4.4 percent in 2012 over 2011.

Online sales in 2012 (macys.com and bloomingdales.com combined) were up 29.9 percent in April and 33.7 percent in the first quarter compared to 2011. Online sales positively affected the company's same-store sales by 1.5 percentage points in the first quarter. Online sales are included in the same-store sales calculation for Macy's, Inc.

Macy's, Inc. is slated to report its first quarter earnings on Wednesday, May 9, and will webcast a call with financial analysts and investors that day at 10:30 a.m. (ET). Macys, Inc.'s webcast is accessible to the media and general public via the company's website at www.macysinc.com. Analysts and investors may call in on 1-866-290-0883, passcode 3234100. A replay of the conference call can be accessed on the Web site or by calling 1-888-203-1112 (same passcode) about two hours after the conclusion of the call.

Macy's, Inc., with corporate offices in Cincinnati and New York, is one of the nation's premier retailers, with fiscal 2011 sales of $26.4 billion. The company operates about 840 department stores in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico under the names of Macy's and Bloomingdale's, as well as the macys.com and bloomingdales.com websites. The company also operates seven Bloomingdale's Outlet stores.