Finance & Capital Management

Seattle – Amazon.com is launching yet another new marketplace. Amazon Business provides access to hundreds of millions of products, as well as business-only selection and pricing.

Amazon Business customers will also receive free two-day shipping on tens of millions of eligible items, multi-user business accounts, custom spending approval workflows, integration with third-party procurement solutions, automated tracking of tax exemptions, dedicated customer support, order tracking, and corporate credit options.

Plano, Texas – Rent-A-Center Inc. reported stable profit during the first quarter of fiscal 2015. The retailer’s net income totaled $27.3 million, up 1% from $27.26 million in the same quarter a year earlier.

Consolidated total revenues climbed 6% to $877.64 million, from $828.47 million. Same-store sales rose 8%.

Cost-conscious consumers are continuing to seek out bargains at Supervalu's stores, prompting the company's profit to soar 50% in the fourth quarter.

Matthews, N.C. - Family Dollar Stores Inc. has announced the passing of Mark R. Bernstein, a member of the company's board of directors, on April 27. Bernstein was among Family Dollar’s longest tenured board members, having joined the board in 1980.

Bernstein most recently served as lead director from 2004 to January 2013.

Winter storms and lower sales of its Elfa closet system led to decreased profit for the Container Store in the fourth quarter.

Minneapolis – Net earnings at Supervalu Inc. fell 14% to $36 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 from $42 million in the identical period a year earlier. Higher selling and administrative expenses, including store closure and benefit costs, helped reduce profits.

Amazon may be looking to grab a piece of the B2B pie from retailers such as Staples by launching an Amazon Business marketplace stocked with hundreds of millions of business products.

The e-commerce giant says Amazon Business customers will also benefit from free two-day shipping on tens of millions of eligible items, multi-user business accounts, approval workflow, payment solutions, tax exemptions, dedicated customer support and much more.

The CEO of Overstock.com says the majority of its sales are coming from mobile as the Internet retailer reported a $1.2 million decrease in profit for the first quarter.