Ann Taylor May Report Another Challenging Quarter of Sluggish Sales

Ann Taylor, the parent company of Ann Taylor, Loft and The Buckle retail stores is out with earnings today. Wall Street expects another challenging quarter. The retailer is expected to show continued weakness in its core brands, a fall in foot traffic, heavy markdowns and inventory delays due to the west coast port work slowdowns. Consumers have shown soft support for its knit tops, cropped sweaters and short flair skirts. Many Ann Taylor, Buckle and Loft stores are in malls, which are also seeing sluggish shopper visits. Analysts add that Ann Taylor entered the holiday season with high inventory, which led to big sales.