Finance & Capital Management

Fort Worth, Texas -- RadioShack Corp. reported Tuesday that profit for the quarter ended Sept. 30 plummeted to $300,000, compared with earnings of $46 million in the year-ago period. The retailer cited the transition from T-Mobile offerings to Verizon Wireless as a major reason for the performance decline, although that was offset somewhat by new mobile service and sales centers in Target stores. The company launched Verizon Wireless in more than 4,400 stores on Sept. 15, as well as ramped up its Target Mobile centers rollout in the same period.

WAYNE, N.J. — Toys“R”Us announced that it has established business operations in Poland and plans to open its first store in the country at the end of November. The first Toys“R”Us store in Poland will open in the country’s capital city of Warsaw just in time for the holiday shopping season, with several additional locations slated to open in major cities throughout the country in 2012, the company reported.

New York City -- The U.S. retail industry will perform in line with sluggish U.S. GDP growth through 2012 as persistent unemployment, stock market volatility and economic gloom weigh on consumer confidence and spending, according to a new report by Moody's Investors Service.
 

North Bergen, N.J. -- Vitamin Shoppe reported Wednesday that net income for the quarter ended Sept. 24 rose to $11.9 million, compared with $7.2 million for the same period last year. 

Sales increased 11.5% to $208.9 million, from $187.4 million last year. Same-store sales rose 7.1%. The company opened 10 stores during the quarter, and expects to open 48 new stores in this fiscal year and another 52 locations in fiscal 2012.
 

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Big 5 Sporting Goods announced that it has appointed Dominic DeMarco to serve on its board of directors, thereby expanding the board to seven members. DeMarco is director, co-chief investment officer and chief compliance officer for Stadium Capital Management LLC, an investment advisory firm whose affiliated funds have been shareholders of Big 5 since 2006 and taken together are the company's largest current shareholder.

New York City -- Wal-Mart Stores is closing its U.S. apparel office in New York City as it shifts its focus from trendier fashions to more basic clothing. News of the move was first reported by Women’s Wear Daily and Reuters.

FORT WORTH, Texas — RadioShack's transition from offering T-Mobile products and services to offering those of Verizon Wireless took a toll on the company's third quarter profits, though overall sales managed to increase.

Austin, Texas -- Retail credit solution-provider NewComLink said Tuesday that Zale Corp. has implemented the NewComLink platform as part of its new program to provide alternative financing options to its U.S. customers.

Zale announced the new alternative financing program on Aug. 31, which is currently available in all Zales, Zales Outlet and Gordon’s retail stores.