Retailers Catch Teenage Blues

By Amy Kaufman, Nicholas Casey and Jennifer Saranow

Word Count: 1,097 | Companies Featured in This Article: Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, Hot Topic, Pacific Sunwear of California, Wal-Mart Stores, J.C. Penney, Kohl's, Saks, Nordstrom, Target , Quiksilver, Aeropostale

(See Corrections & Amplifications item below.)

Teens may dread going back to school, but the retail chains catering to them eagerly await this season for a reliable boost from kids who need new clothes. In this slow economy, however, teen retailers are showing signs of stress and beginning to worry that the late-summer boom might not arrive this year.

Big brands like Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and American Eagle Outfitters Inc. on Thursday both reported sales declines of 7%, for same-store sales, or those at stores open more than a year. Sales at niche clothiers like punk rock-themed Hot Topic ...