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Consumer Affairs & Relations

  • A sparkly fourth quarter for Signet Jewelers

    Signet Jewelers attracted large numbers of Christmas shoppers over the fourth quarter as the parent company of Zales, Kay and Jared posted a jump in same-store sales.

    The world's largest retailer of diamond jewelry reported that for the period ended Jan. 30, same-store sales increased 4.9%. Diluted earnings per share grew over 20%. Adjusted EPS increased over 18% and ahead of the guided range.

  • Starbucks to finally open in ultimate coffee market

    Photo: Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz at Milan’s Duomo Cathedral

  • SmartLabel: Bringing the Future of Shopping to Consumers

    Today’s consumer is asking more and more about the food, beverage and consumer products they buy, use and consume. They want to know what is in the product, how to use it and what is in its packaging. They want to know who benefits from the manufacturing and how. And it doesn’t stop there.

    The question is how CPG companies can meet this consumer demand when there is no way all of this information would fit on a package label.

  • Dillard’s stocking on its own shares

    Dillard’s has approved a new share repurchase program authorizing the company to repurchase up to $500 million of its Class A Common Stock.

    The new open-ended authorization permits the company to repurchase its Class A Common Stock in the open market, pursuant to preset trading plans meeting the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or through privately negotiated transactions. The company completed the authorization under its previous $500 million share repurchase program during the fourth quarter of 2015.

  • Sprouts Farmers Market sales hit record high

    Perhaps no other retailer is profiting as well from Americans' changing eating habits than Sprouts Farmers Market, which reported record sales and earnings for the fourth quarter.

    The Arizona-based grocer said that same-store sales during the period ended Jan. 3 rose 7.4%. Net income was $28.2 million and diluted earnings per share were 18 cents. Net sales were $3.59 billion, a 21% increase compared to reported net sales in 2014. Adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.86, a 19% increase from 2014.

  • NRF takes ‘patent troll’ fight to Congress

    They are not mythological monsters, but a real phenomenon retailers say is limiting their ability to take advantage of emerging technologies.

    The National Retail Federation (NRF) is officially calling on Congress to pass patent reform legislation that would put an end to “shakedown settlements” forced on retailers by “patent trolls.” Patent trolls are companies that purchase often-obscure patents for technology they did not invent, then demand licensing fees from retailers and other businesses that may not realize the technology is patented.

  • Victoria's Secret lifts L Brands

    The parent company of Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works credited the strength of its brands with helping it to buck the financial doldrums affecting many other retailers in the fourth quarter.

    For the period ended Jan. 30, L Brands earned $636 million, or $2.15 a share, up from $564.8 million, or $1.89 a share, a year earlier. Net income increased 13% to $636.0 million, compared to $564.8 million last year. Net sales were $4.395 billion, an increase of 8%. Same-store sales increased 6%.

  • Build-A-Bear Workshop adds toy, social media expertise to board

    Build-A-Bear is adding two new board members whose backgrounds should serve the company well as it moves forward with its transformation plan.

    Build-A-Bear announcedthat Tim Kilpin and Sarah Personette have been appointed to the company’s board of directors.

  • Consumer confidence slips in February

    Consumer confidence fell into a slump in February, driven largely by a less optimistic view of business conditions.

    According to the Conference Board, the index currently stands at 92.2, down from 97.8 in January.

  • CBRE ranked among Fortune Magazine’s most admired companies for fourth consecutive year

    Los Angeles -- CBRE Group announced that it has been ranked among Fortune’s Most Admired Companies in the real estate industry for the fourth consecutive year.

    Fortune rates companies on attributes related to corporate performance. In the 2016 program, CBRE was the top-rated real estate firm for people management and also scored notably well on quality of services, quality of management, financial soundness and innovation. Overall CBRE achieved a score of 6.69, up from 6.23 in 2015.

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