• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, March 14, 2011

Add Ann Taylor to the list of one-name wonders: Like Cher and Madonna, the retailer thinks a first name is sufficient, and will henceforth be known simply as Ann Inc. The company says the new name better reflects its brands, which include Ann Taylor and Loft stores, as well the multi-channel nature the company. (For the record, there never was a Ms. Taylor -- the brand was named after a dress style, not a real person.)

The company says sales rose to $515.2 million in the fourth quarter, up from $469.1 million in the same period a year ago, powered by an 11% gain in comparable-store sales, while net income rose to nearly $8 million. For the full fiscal year, net income came in at $73.4 million, compared with a loss of $18.2 million in the prior year. In the year ahead, it says it intends to increase its marketing spending by some $15 million, and that it expects comparable-store sales gains to be in the mid-single digits.