Low Riders, Low Sales

VF Corp. (Greensboro, N.C.), manufacturer of apparel under a variety of labels, said second quarter earnings fell 16 percent on lower sales of jeans and intimate apparel.

The maker of Lee and Wrangler jeans said domestic jeans sales declined 4 percent from a year ago, reflecting continued efforts by retailers to reduce inventories. It also reflected, the company said, a number of store closings since last summer.

Internationally, jeans sales rose 5 percent, which the company said it attributes to the effects of foreign currency translation.

Sales in the company's outdoor segment, which includes the North Face, JanSport and Eastpak brands, rose 12 percent, driven by double-digit sales increases of North Face products.