Retail Stores
October 28, 2011
Outdoor retailer Cabela’s reported that profit for the third quarter surged 68.7 percent to $33.3 million, compared with $19.7 million in the year-ago period. Results surpassed analysts’ expectations and mark the third straight quarter of profit rises.
October 28, 2011
Neiman Marcus announced that it's entered into agreements with Visa and MasterCard to begin, effective Nov. 1, accepting MasterCard and Visa credit, debit and prepaid cards at all 41 Neiman Marcus stores.
October 28, 2011
OfficeMax reported that net income for the quarter ended Sept. 24 rose to $21.5 million, compared with $20 million in the year-ago period. Sales dipped 2.1 percent to $1.77 billion from $1.81 billion, barely meeting Wall Street’s expected $1.807 billion.
October 27, 2011
Books-A-Million, which has been taking over the leases of former Borders locations, will transform 41 of the sites into Books-A-Million stores in early November. Most of the locations across the nation represent new markets for the bookseller.
October 27, 2011
Vitamin Shoppe reported that net income for the quarter ended Sept. 24 rose to $11.9 million compared with $7.2 million for the same period last year. Sales increased 11.5 percent to $208.9 million from $187.4 million last year.
October 27, 2011
Whether same-store sales are up or down, analysts and other stakeholders want to know what drove results. If you've listened in on an earnings call for a major retailer lately, undoubtedly you've heard the question, "Was it ticket or traffic?"
October 26, 2011
In a rare interview, TJX CEO Carol Meyrowitz explained how conventional wisdom is wrong when it comes to T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. Meyrowitz says 85 percent of what the stores sell is from the same season and same year it was designed for, and 85 percent is purchased directly from manufacturers. Much is identical to what the brands sell in department stores, she insists.
October 26, 2011
Layaway almost disappeared during the last economic boom. With easy credit and plenty of home equity to tap, many families no longer needed a pay-as-you-go way of making purchases. But today, layaway is back. And in a big way.
October 26, 2011
When the first flakes of a snowstorm start falling in Philadelphia, it doesn't take nearby Home Depot stores long to position shovels and rock salt up near their front doors. At the same time, if a heat wave is blasting Phoenix, shoppers walking into their local Wal-Mart will be tempted to buy air conditioners, kiddie pools and slushy machines.
October 25, 2011
A week before Halloween and two full months before Christmas, stores are desperately trying to outdo each other in hopes of drawing in customers worn down by the economy.
