FINANCE

  • Fred's gets February sales lift

    Fred’s Super Dollar continues to see sales increases as 2016 continues. The company reported Thursday that for the four weeks ending Feb. 27, it saw net sales of $171.1 million, a 12% increase over the same period last year. The announcement follows January’s sales, which also increased 12% over the same four weeks in 2015. Comparable store sales rose 0.8% for the month, compared to flat comps in February 2015.

  • Teen apparel retailer hires financial advisors

    Pacific Sunwear of California has hired financial advisors to help deal with its maturing debt, according to The Wall Street Journal.

    In 2011, PacSun received a $100 million credit line from Wells Fargo and a $60 million loan from an affiliate of Golden Gate Capital. Both loans will be due in December, the report said.

    Similar to other teen retailers, PacSun has been dealing with increased online competition and a shift in teen spending. The company has had three consecutive quarters of declining sales and negative same-store sales.

  • Pier 1 Imports sales better than expected

    Customers responded favorably to holiday promotions at Pier 1 during the fourth quarter and the retailer is poised for an even better spring now that it plans a return to TV advertising.

  • Retail bankruptcies and the circle of life

    The last several years have seen numerous chapter 11 bankruptcies with the most recent being The Sport Authority. It may seem counterintuitive, but bankruptcies are a sign of vibrant industry and give rise to new opportunities for those who know where to look.

  • CST Brands puts itself up for sale

    Convenience store chain CST Brands has addedtwo new independent directors to its board and announced it plans to pursue “strategic alternatives” that could include selling the company.

    The company says the strategic review process will be comprehensive and will include a fresh look at several of CST's previously announced strategic initiatives and plans.

  • Staples offers FTC justification for Office Depot acquisition

    Another set of weak quarterly results from Staples and another round of store closures could give the Federal Trade Commission more evidence to support Staples long-running effort to acquire Office Depot.

  • Winter Storm Jonas hurts revenue at Big Lots

    Big Lots says harsh winter weather hurt traffic counts and revenue, but the closeout retailer still posted increases in same-store sales for the fourth quarter.

    Big Lots reported income from continuing operations of $94.7 million, or $1.91 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter ended Jan. 30. Revenue dropped to $1.58 billion from $1.59 billion for the same quarter last year. Same-store sales increased 0.7%.It was the eighth consecutive quarter in which Big Lots has posted positive same-store sales.

  • Costco prevails during holidays

    Costco’s profit fell short of analysts’ estimates at the mid-point in its fiscal year, but business trends were solid in the company’s second quarter with a 4% same store sales increase at U.S. locations.

    The company said its total revenues for the period ended Feb. 14, which included the holidays, increased 2.6% to $28.2 billion. Merchandise and service sales increased 2.6% to $27.9 billion and membership fees increased 3.6% to $603 million.

  • Report: Walgreens Boots Alliance exploring retail pharmacy options in Australia

    Walgreens Boots Alliance is exploring the possibility behind opening a retail pharmacy stake in Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald reported Friday. Though current government restrictions prevent corporate-owned pharmacies from setting up shop, that could change as "the government has commissioned an independent review of pharmacy regulations, which is due to report in March 2017," the paper reported.

  • Barnes & Noble grows sales; to debut new store format

    Barnes & Noble produced a same-store sales increase in its third quarter which, although meager, is an impressive accomplishment given intense competition from Amazon. In announcing its results on Thursday, the company also revealed that it will open four new prototype stores in its current fiscal year. The first is expected to open sometime this summer.

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