Dive Brief:

• Activist investor Engine Capital LP and a partner investor have been talking to Ann Inc., parent company of Ann Taylor and Loft, about selling itself, according to the Wall Street Journal.​ The investors control more than 1% of Ann Inc. shares. 

• The Engine Capital LP investors are going public in order to push things along, sources told the Wall Street Journal.

• Last week, the women's apparel retailer reported a 2% increase in Q2 same-store sales, but a 5% decrease at its Loft stores.

Dive Insight:

Ann Inc. has expanded its Loft offerings and spun it into its own brand in part because of Loft's success. But now Loft appears to be struggling. Still, Ann Inc. was praised for its "consistent performance over the years" in a recent letter from the investor firms addressing the possible sale. While the investors stated that Ann Inc. could go for as much as $2.52 billion, the company earlier this year stated that it did not plan to push for a sale in the future.