Finance & Capital Management

Suffern, N.Y. -- Ascena Retail Group, owner of the Dressbarn, Maurices and Justice chains, reported Wednesday that net income for the quarter ended July 30 fell to $28.2 million, from $42 million in the year-ago period on one-time charges and a shorter quarter for the performance slide.

Plymouth Meeting, Pa. -- Fameco Real Estate, L.P. said that its property management division, Fameco Management Services, has been awarded two new assignments from Titanium Real Estate Advisors totaling 88,000 sq. ft.

Designers Court is a 78,000-sq.-ft. shopping center located in Marlton, N.J., anchored by Atlas Interior Home Fashions, Kroungold’s Furniture, Mixellaneous, ABC Discount Appliances and Toppers Salon and Health Spa.

Cincinnati -- The Kroger Co. said Thursday that its board of directors has approved a $1 billion share repurchase program.

The new program replaces an existing authorization that has about $213 million remaining. The authorization is expected to be used over the next 12 months, according to Kroger.
 

New York City -- Tiffany & Co. said Thursday it plans to open a store in New York’s SoHo neighborhood in September 2012.

The 7,000-sq.-ft. store will occupy a space that combines two locations -- 97 Greene Street and 106 Wooster Street. 

The 2012 opening corresponds to Tiffany’s 175th anniversary of its founding on Lower Broadway in the 1850s.

NEW YORK — Walmart is bringing back its layaway program this holiday season, responding to pressures on low income consumers, MarketWatch reported.

Walmart, which canceled the program in 2006, except for fine jewelery, based on costs and limited use, is bringing back the program at its Walmart U.S. stores for Oct. 17 to Dec. 16 for electronics and toys, according to the report.

Fort Worth, Texas -- Pier 1 Imports reported Thursday that second-quarter profit rose to $16.6 million, from $14.4 million a year earlier, matching Wall Street expectations.

Sales for the quarter increased 9.6% to $339.6 million, compared with $309.9 million in the year-ago quarter. Same-store sales increased 10.8%, boosted by higher traffic and average-ticket numbers.

New York City -- Planet Fitness said Wednesday that it will open a Manhattan flagship location in Chelsea, at 158 West 27th Street, and is slated to open in early 2012.

The 20,000-sq.-ft. center will be housed at Himmel + Meringoff Properties’ 12-story, 117,000-sq.-ft. office building which has recently undergone a multi-million-dollar renovation.

Planet Fitness currently operates its only New York City fitness center in Harlem on 125th Street.

 

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Thursday by Bloomberg said that U.S. consumer confidence held last week at the second-lowest level of 2011 as the highest number of households in three years said it was a bad time to spend.
 
The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index was minus 49.3 in the period to Sept. 11, near the 2011 low of minus 49.4 reached in May. The buying climate gauge slumped to the lowest level since October 2008.