Finance & Capital Management

Bolingbrook, Ill. — Ulta Beauty reported a double-digit gain in third-quarter sales and net income. The company said it is planning to open approximately 125 stores in 2013.

For the quarter ended Oct. 27, net income rose 42.5% to $38.2 million. Net sales rose 22.4% to $505.6 million, from $413.1 million in the year-ago period. Same-store sales were up 8.4%.

During the quarter, Ulta opened 49 stores, for a total of 537 stores.

Newton Upper Falls, Mass. -- Shoe manufacturer and retailer Clarks Cos. announced it has put a new real estate team in place to help reach its aggressive expansion goals.

According to Somerset, England-based parent C&J Clark, its retail division has opened nearly 300 company-owned, full price and outlet stores in the U.S. over the last 18 years and plans to add 30 to 50 new stores per year, with a goal of doubling its footprint over the next five years.

Minneapolis -- Christopher & Banks said its net income totaled $3.6 million for the quarter ended Oct.27, compared with a loss $13.7 million in the year-age period.

Revenue rose 2%, to $117.3 million from $114.6 million. The chain has closed more than 100 stores during the last year, but strong sales at its existing locations boosted revenue. Same-store sales rose 13.7%.

Christopher & Banks noted that effective Nov.26, LuAnn Via joined the company as president and CEO.

Fort Worth, Texas -- Pier I said its total sales increased 10.9% to $425 for the third quarter, ended Nov.15, with comparable-store sales rising 7.9% from the year-ago period.

Nashville, Tenn. -- Genesco Inc. said Friday its third-quarter profit increased to $41 million, from $26.2 million in the year-ago period, better than Wall Street expected. The company also raised its fiscal 2013 outlook, even as it warned that November was off to a slow start.

Women’s specialty retailer Coldwater Creek said co-founder, chairman and CEO Dennis Pence will relinquish his role of CEO at year end.

Replacing Pence and joining the board of directors of the Sandpoint, Idaho-based chain will be Jill Brown Dean, the company’s current president and chief merchandising officer. Assuming Dean’s role will be Michele Donnan Martin who joins the company as SVP/GMM responsible for all merchandising functions.

A worse than expected 1% decline in November same store sales indicates the holiday season is off to a slow start at Target.

The 1% decline was substantially worse than the low single digit increase the company forecast at the start of the month when it reported a 2.4% increase for October that was toward the low end of guidance. The November weakness suggest traffic trends may be deteriorating at Target as the company said blamed the decline on a decrease in comparable store transactions following that metric’s flat performance in October.

Kroger extended its same store sales winning streak to 36 consecutive quarters and reported better than expected profits Thursday.

The grocer reported a third quarter adjusted profit of 46 cents a share that exceeded analysts’ consensus estimate by three cents and said its identical store sales grew by 3.2%. Total sales, including fuel, increased 5.9% to $21.8 billion

NEW YORK — James Gallagher was named CFO at Bluefly, an online retailer of designer brands founded in 1998 in the heart of New York’s fashion district.

Gallagher comes to Bluefly with more than 33 years of  financial, strategic and operations experience with growth oriented international, entrepreneurial and corporate entities across a broad range of industries, including Internet-focused marketing, e-commerce, entertainment and technology companies.

TJX Companies reported a 3% comp increase on top of a prior year gain of 4% while Ross Stores said posted a comp increase of 2% compared to last November’s 5% comp increase.

Total sales at TJX increased 7% to $2.2 billion during the November reporting period and so far this year sales at the company have advanced 10% to $20.3 billion. Total sales for November at Ross increased 6% to $813 million and so far this year are up 11% to nearly $7.8 billion.