Finance & Capital Management

Dollar Tree on Tuesday credited sales at its Family Dollar division as helping to boost the company’s overall results for the fourth quarter. But the increase still fell short of analysts expectations.

Sales for the quarter ended Jan. 30 totaled $5.37 billion, a 116.7% increase from the year-ago period but still less than expected. The boost in revenue was the result of $2.68 billion in sales from the Family Dollar segment.

Charlotte, N.C. -- Starwood Retail Partners announced a $50 million investment in an 11-acre parcel adjacent to Northlake Mall in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company plans to build a 200,000-sq. ft. lifestyle component complementing the existing two-story mall. Construction is set to begin by early 2017.

The project will include retail, dining, entertainment, landscaping, parking and pedestrian friendly areas.

Ross Stores reported strong results for its fourth quarter. But similar to many other retailers, the off-price retailer sounded a cautious note with regards to sales and earnings for its new fiscal year.

Ross on Tuesday reported earnings per share for the fourth quarter ended January 30, 2016 of $.66, up 10% from the prior year, on net earnings that rose 6% to a better-than-expected $264 million.

Sports Authority Inc., which is reportedly preparing to file for bankruptcy, has discussed selling stores and intellectual property to rival chain Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. and other parties, according to Bloomberg.

Sports Authority, once the largest sporting-goods retailer in the U.S., is heading toward default after years of losing ground to competitors. The Englewood, Colorado-based chain missed a Jan. 15 interest payment on some of its debt and failed to make the payment during a 30-day grace period.

Efforts to rework its distribution process netted big wins in the second quarter for AutoZone, which reported increases in same-store sales and profit.

The auto parts retailer posted net sales of $2.3 billion for its second quarter ended Feb. 13, an increase of 5.3% from the second quarter of fiscal 2015. Same-store sales increased 3.6% for the quarter. Net income for the quarter increased 8% over the same period last year to $228.6 million, while diluted earnings per share increased 14.2% to $7.43 per share from $6.51 per share in the year-ago quarter.

Fast-expanding grocery chain Aldi is making it even easier for consumers to shop its no-frills stores.

The European chain has announced it will now accept credit cards – including Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express – at all of its stores across the country.

Boston -- The Wilder Companies announced new hires and promotions.

Publix Super Markets hit a milestone in 2015 as it exceeded the $30 billion mark in annual sales and also racked up another impressive quarter.

The grocer reported that net earnings for the quarter ended Dec. 26, 2015, rose 15% to $521.1 million, from $453.3 million in the year ago period. For the full year, earnings rose some 13%, to $2 billion, compared to $1.7 billion last year.