Can We Trust the Borders Bump?

One chain that is on the watch list of many industry observers this year for mass store closings is Borders Group. It is second place to Barnes & Noble in a flailing retail sector with only two major national chains pressured by technology.

Plus, it consistently reports weak earnings, at least, until its fourth quarter results came out earlier this week. Borders earned just under $60 million, nearly doubling what it brought in during the same year-ago period, and its stock soared as a result.

Aeropostale Trumps Macy’s as a Brand?

We know that Aeropostale fares well in the recession and posts impressive sales due to its kindly priced apparel that connects with its teen audience. But as a brand name is it really more valuable than Macy’s?

Well, that’s the case, according to firm Interbrand Design Forum, which put out a list of the 50 strongest retail brand names in the country. It’s list has Aeropostale at number 35, while Macy’s is ranked 50th.

Barnes & Noble’s Borders Bid Sounds Finished

The Wall Street Journal has a report that Barnes & Noble’s management isn’t interested in acquiring Borders Group, which put itself up for sale in March.

The Journal article says that there are bound to be a bunch of bitter investors who bought up Borders stock in anticipation of such an acquisition. Apparently Barnes & Noble was considering such a deal until recently.