De Beers, the world's top diamond producer, said it expected a better second half, when reporting that tough markets had all but wiped out its first-half profit.
Footwear maker Deckers Outdoor Corp posted a surprise second-quarter profit, helped by cost controls, but forecast a weak fourth quarter, when sales of its trademark sheepskin boots are traditionally strongest.
John Lewis, the employee-owned group seen as a barometer of UK retail spending, said its week to July 18 performance was one of its best of the year as department store sales rose with shoppers snapping up clearance goods.
"Fake watches are for fake people: buy authentic, buy real" -- that is the slogan of a campaign by the Swiss watch industry to fight booming demand for counterfeit goods during the global downturn.
North Korean women face hard labor if they are caught wearing trousers rather than skirts, under the communist regime's latest crackdown on public morals, South Korean activists said.
In 1980s communist East Germany, nearly all clothing available was mass-produced and functional rather than fashionable, leaving little room for individuality and self-expression.
Amazon.com's purchase of shoe seller Zappos.com, known for attentive customer service, will likely race through an antitrust review unscuffed, antitrust experts said.
Fragrance maker Inter Parfums Inc posted a 11 percent fall in second-quarter sales that still beat market view, and backed its full-year outlook as it expects a stronger second half.
South African food and clothing retailer Woolworths expects to report a 30-40 percent rise in earnings per share boosted by a one-off profit and sales in the fourth quarter showed signs of recovery.
The Japan International Fashion Fair in Tokyo started on the 22nd of July with more exhibitors than had been present in its previous edition, especially from Asian countries like India which was principally promoting textile products.
Marcolin has signed an exclusive world licensing agreement for the production and distribution of Swarovski brand glasses. The licence will last for five years and can be renewed for a further five years.
Launched this month, the new autumn-winter 2009/2010 campaign from Escada features supermodel Eva Herzigova. It is a fresh and mysterious campaign in these bleak times that was shot by Peter Lindbergh.
French luxury goods group Hermes will open its first Brazilian store in Sao Paulo after almost 30 years of trademark disputes and unsuccessful attempts to lure partners.
Women's apparel retailer Coldwater Creek Inc said it continue to expect a second-quarter loss but sees a sequential improvement in business trends, helped by positive customer response to its summer collection.
Retail sales jumped at three times the rate analysts expected last month as hot weather and early summer discounting boosted sales of clothes, official data showed.
