Finance & Capital Management

St. Louis -- Brown Shoe Co., parent to the Famous Footwear chain, reported Thursday a loss of $4.6 million for the second quarter, compared with a profit of $5.3 million in the year-ago period.

Sales increased 7.2% to $628.1 million, from $585.8 million.

Evansville, Ind. -- Shoe Carnival reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended July 30 dropped to $2.7 million from $4.1 million in the year-ago period. Sales edged up 0.8% to $166.7 million, and same-store sales dipped 1.1%.

The shoe retailer said it expects to open 17 new stores and close four stores in fiscal 2011.
 

Amsterdam -- Royal Ahold NV reported Thursday that net income in the second quarter declined to $287 million from $290 million a year earlier, dragged down by performance of its U.S.-based Stop & Shop grocery stores.

The company cited increased competition in the U.S. for its lackluster quarter. Ahold said it will seek to limit price increases and cut costs in the United States, particularly at its Giant-Carlisle chain, which competes with Wal-Mart Stores.

Second-quarter sales declined 3.5% to $9.9 billion.

 

Johannesburg -- Massmart Holdings Ltd., the South African retailer controlled by Wal-Mart Stores, announced Thursday it will up its store counts in fiscal 2012 by 8.6% to 340 stores. The company will open 27 new stores during the period, mostly in South Africa and two in Nigeria.CEO Grant Pattison said the accelerated pace is to keep the company in front of its competitors.

Also on Thursday, Massmart reported an 11.6% rise in total sales for the year ended June 26 to $7.29 billion, and upped its forecast for the remainder of 2011.

Little Rock, Ark. -- Dillard’s said Thursday it has offered to relocate 66 St. Louis employees whose jobs have been eliminated from the department store retailer’s merger of two merchandising divisions.

Dillard’s is merging its St. Louis merchandising division with another in Little Rock, Ark. The St. Louis division is slated to close Oct. 23.
 

By Howard Paster, [email protected]

Columbus, Ohio -- Express reported Wednesday that profit for the second quarter fell 43% to $12.6 million, compared with $22.1 million in the year-ago period. Results still topped Wall Street expectations, and the company has upped it s forecast for the third quarter and full year.

Revenue rose nearly 10% to $446 million from $407.3 million, beating analysts' average forecast for $439.6 million in revenue. Same-store sales rose 6%.

Warrendale, Pa. -- Rue21 reported Wednesday that net income for the quarter ended July 30 rose 20% to $7.7 million, from $6.4 million a year earlier. Revenue surged 21% to $172.8 million, topping Wall Street expectations.

Same-store sales for the period for flat, and the teen retailer said it faced dwindling inventory on summer merchandise, which it plans to remedy in the 2012 summer shopping season.

During the second quarter, Rue21 opened 34 stores, closed one and converted 14 to the larger rue21 etc! format.
 

Columbus, Ohio -- Big Lots reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended July 30 declined 8% to $35.7 million, compared with $38.9 million a year earlier. The company cited same-store sales declines and a charge related to its new Canadian stores for the performance slip.

Revenue rose 3% to $1.17 billion from $1.14 billion. Same-store sales fell 1.5%.

Big Lots acquired Liquidation World in July as part of a strategy to expand into Canada.
 

San Francisco -- Guess reported Wednesday that profit for the second quarter dipped 9.1% on a hefty settlement charge.

The retailer said that net income fell to $60.7 million from $66.8 million, as it was hit by a $19.5 million settlement charge.

Revenue for the quarter rose 17% to $677.2 million from $577.1 million, beating analysts’ estimates.