Finance & Capital Management

Lowe’s said its third quarter same store sales spiked 5.1% a day after Home Depot reported an even stronger increase.

Total company sales increased 5.6% to $13.7 billion driven by increased productivity of existing stores as evidenced by a 5.1% comp increase. Home Depot said its third quarter same store sales increased 5.8%. Lowe’s profits increased 17.3% to $585 million while earnings per share increased 25.5% to 59 cents and were aided by $900 million in share repurchase activity.

BJ's Wholesale Club has introduced a Mastercard program that ups the ante in the wholesale club credit card category. The My BJ's Perks MasterCard will offer members 10 cents off per gallon of BJ's gas every day, up to 5% back on purchases in-club and at BJs.com, 2% back on eating out and non-BJ's gas purchases, and 1% back on purchases made everywhere else MasterCard is accepted.  

It took a heightened level of promotional activity to drive marginally better than expected third quarter same store sales growth at Target’s U.S. stores while losses in Canada were less severe than the prior year.

Amid an ongoing exploration of strategic alternatives, PetSmart said third quarter sales grew 2.6% thanks to the addition of 36 new stores as same store sales were flat.

The resumption of top line growth at Stage Stores enabled the operator of 858 stores to reduce the size of its third quarter net loss, but CEO Michael Glazer is taking a cautious view of the holidays.

RESTON, Va. — Total online retail spending for the November–December period will reach $61.0 billion, a 16% gain versus year ago, according to comScore’s 2014 holiday forecast.  Spending using desktop computers for that period is expected to reach $53.2 billion, up 14%  year-over-year, which is 4 percentage points higher than last season’s 10-percent growth rate.

Mobile commerce is predicted to account for $7.9 billion of retail spending, representing 13% of total digital commerce and growing at an annual rate of 25% vs. last season.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Domino’s Pizza is continuing its international growth by opening its first store in Kenya. Master Kenya franchise holder Om Nom Nom Ltd. opened a store in Nairobi Nov.8 and will open more stores in the city in the next few years.
"Establishing ourselves in Kenya provides an excellent opportunity for our brand to continue growing globally," said Ritch Allison, Domino's Pizza international president. "Domino's has terrific potential to offer an unmatched pizza experience to the people of Nairobi."

Brentwood, Tenn. - Tractor Supply Company plans to build a new distribution center in Casa Grande, Arizona. Located in the Central Arizona Commerce Park, the facility is expected to begin operating in the fourth quarter of 2015 and will be approximately 650,000-sq.-ft., with the potential to create more than 250 local jobs.
Tractor Supply Company's new distribution center will have the potential to service approximately 250 stores in the Southwest region. Currently, the company operates more than 1,360 stores in 49 states across the country.

LOS ANGELES — Guitar Center has announced the appointment of Michael Amkreutz to the position of executive VP, marketing, merchandising and E-Commerce, for the Guitar Center brand.  He joins the retailer from Systemax North American Technologies, where he most recently held the role of chief marketing officer.

By Todd Waskelis, AT&T