Finance & Capital Management

Everyone in the Gainesville, Florida, area knows Butler Plaza, the open-air retail center at Archer Road and SW 34th Street. Currently home to more than 1 million sq. ft. of retail and restaurants, it’s where north central Florida residents, 100,000 daytime employees and 75,000 students at the University of Florida and other colleges have filled their basic needs and wants for decades.

Rising expenses resulted in an increased net loss at Tuesday Morning Corp. during the third quarter of fiscal 2016, despite positive sales results.

Dallas-based Tuesday Morning reported a net loss of $5.24 million, close to double the $2.8 million loss it posted during the third quarter of the previous fiscal year. On the plus side, net sales rose 11% to $211.38 million from $189.73 million. Same-store sales grew 13.4%, largely driven by an increase in customer transactions.

Sierra Trading Post, an online retailer TJX Cos. acquired in 2012, is accelerating store expansion and could become a new growth driver for the nation’s leading off price retailer with designs on extending its value proposition to the outdoor and active lifestyle world.

James Rhee is a tech-savvy numbers and operations guy, but the private equity investor-turned retailer relied on more than business smarts and technology to help revive Ashley Stewart. Realizing that the plus-size brand inspired a deep love among its customers, he developed a core strategy of kindness and loyalty, a strategy that recognized Ashley Stewart represented respect, community and joy to its shoppers.

Editor’s Note: The 27th annual Chain Store Age survey of Fastest-Growing Acquirers surveyed retail square footage purchased during the 2015 calendar year.

They come to the list with different philosophies and experiences, but this year’s Fastest-Growing Acquirers share a dedication to preparation and long-term strategies.

Consumers in the Columbus, Ohio, market will soon have a new option for shopping, dining, working, playing and living.

“Hamilton Quarter is a truly mixed-use, cohesive development with more than 300 acres of office, multi-family residential, retail, entertainment, hospitality and senior living offerings,” said Jason Freeman, development manager at Columbus-based fully integrated real estate services firm CASTO.

Haverty Furniture Company has been around since the late 19th century, but the specialty furniture retailer has a decidedly 21st-century approach to energy management.

“We want Havertys to be the company everyone wants to come work for,” said Rawson Haverty Jr., senior VP real estate and development, Havertys, during a session at Chain Store Age’s SPECS 2016 Conference, March 13-15, in Dallas.

Environmental stewardship, and thus energy conservation, is on the Atlanta-based furniture retailer’s list of 10 core values, Haverty explained.

After a difficult third quarter of fiscal 2016, Perfumania Holdings Inc. continued experiencing problems in the year’s fourth quarter.

The specialty chain is considering closing an unspecified number of underperforming stores after reporting net income of $2.26 million, down 59% from $5.5 million a year earlier. Lower gross profit and operating income helped slash profit.