Kohl

On Saturday, Helmut Kohl, the "chancellor of German unity," will turn 80. To mark the occasion, Chancellor Angela Merkel and many others in Germany will deliver nice tributes to old King Kohl; yet his country's current approach to Europe, and especially to the embattled Eurozone, risks dismantling his European legacy. If you ask why the European project is faltering today, one of the main reasons is that the German motor has stalled. And if you ask why, the short answer is because Germany has become a "normal" nation, like France and Britain.

Kohl's Corp., the mid-priced department store chain that has been aggressively grabbing market share, and apparel retailer Gap Inc., which is in the midst of a turnaround, both reported strong sales as well as double-digit profit gains for the fourth quarter. For the three months that ended Jan. 30, Kohl's profit increased 28% to $431 million, or $1.40 a share, compared with $336 million, or $1.10, in the year-earlier quarter, the company said Thursday. Total sales increased 8.5% to $5.7 billion, and sales at stores open at least a year -- known as same-store sales and considered an important measure of a retailer's health -- increased 4.5%.

Kohl's Corp. gambled big when it opened 30 new California stores last year amid one of the worst retail environments in decades. But in just a few months, the stores have turned out promising initial results -- attracting many first-time Kohl's customers and boosting business at the department store chain's existing locations. Although the new stores increased the number of Kohl's locations in California by one-third, statewide sales have grown more than 40% year over year since the Sept.

Three major retailers -- a discounter, a mid-priced department store and an upscale chain -- said their profits were up in the fiscal third quarter, showing significant improvement over last year's dismal fall season. But sales figures at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Kohl's Corp. and Nordstrom Inc. indicated that consumers were still not ready to spend freely, causing continued concern about the holiday season. Although the results beat company expectations, executives at all three chains conceded that they have a tough selling period ahead.

Re: "Kohl's bets big on California," Sept. 23: I live in Fresno, where a Kohl's and a Mervyn's had been across the street from one another for years. One day I went to Mervyn's first thing in the morning. When the doors opened, I found the store in total disarray. I went across the street to Kohl's, and it was immaculate. My experience may explain why Mervyn's failed but Kohl's might succeed in the same locations. Jim Sherman Fresno

When Mervyns called it quits last year, many in the recession-battered retailing world were surprised when Kohl's Corp. rushed to take over dozens of the failed chain's locations. Both department stores sold a similar mix of mid-priced apparel, accessories and home furnishings. There was a significant overlap in the customers who shopped at Mervyns and Kohl's. The retailers' stores were even alike in size and layout. On Sept. 30, Kohl's bold move will be put to the test when it opens 35 stores in former Mervyns locations, 30 of them in California.

Here's some good news for job seekers: Kohl's is opening 12 locations in the Los Angeles area next month and is planning to hire 1,800 employees to fill the stores. Local job seekers are encouraged to apply for associate positions, including customer service, cash register operation and early-morning stocking. New hires will receive benefits that include health insurance and merchandise discounts. New store locations are in Cypress, Downey, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Los Angeles, Monrovia, Northridge, Redondo Beach, Sun Valley, Tustin, Upland and Whittier.

The chairman of a Senate panel on antitrust issues on Tuesday called on the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department to scrutinize competitiveness in the cellphone industry, pointing to a 100% increase in some text messaging charges by four companies that control most of the market. Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wisconsin) said that from 2006 to 2008, the price charged by the four biggest carriers for sending and receiving such messages rose from 10 cents to 20 cents.

Retailers Forever 21 Inc. and Kohl's Corp. won a joint bid to move into 46 soon-to-be-empty Mervyns stores, the chains said Friday. Most of the locations are in California, where the mid-level department store chain had a strong presence for decades. The Hayward, Calif., company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July and subsequently decided to liquidate.

This back-to-school season will go down as the Battle of the Brands. Kohl's launched six lines of clothing this summer with a star-studded advertising campaign featuring celebrities from including Lenny Kravitz and Hayden Panettiere. JCPenney introduced another half-a-dozen labels, the department store's biggest crop of new brands, with looks ranging from urban rock to all-American. And Dillard's is chasing soccer moms with a line designed by Sheryl Crow that hit stores last month.