RETAILING

Maternity Clothes Seller Cuts Jobs: Mothers Work Inc. said it has essentially closed the Los Angeles headquarters of Motherhood Maternity Shops Inc., which it acquired last month, by firing 46 of 49 people. The Philadelphia-based specialty retailer of maternity clothing also said it has transferred the distribution business of Motherhood Maternity Shops to its new facility in Philadelphia. The company said it reduced the Los Angeles headquarters’ expenses by $9.2 million annually over the last month. Mothers Work also said sales at stores open at least a year fell 2.1% in August. Total sales more than doubled, to about $13.6 million from about $5.6 million.