Finance & Capital Management

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.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Pier 1 reported sales and earnings growth for its second quarter, leaving president and CEO, Alex Smith confident about the future of the company heading into the holiday season. 

SEATTLE and NEW YORK — While the threat of having to collect state sales tax still looms, Amazon.com continues to find new revenue sources. The company announced Tuesday that it will become the largest third-party seller of Hearst magazine subscriptions through an expanded agreement with Hearst Corp. Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN - News) and Hearst Corporation today announced that the two companies have entered into an expanded, multi-faceted consumer marketing, e-commerce and content relationship.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Wal-Mart Stores on Wednesday launched initiatives intended, it says, to help women around the globe in the next five years.

The retailer has spent the last year developing a plan -- with help from both governmental and non-governmental organizations and philanthropic groups -- which will direct $20 billion over a five- year period on goods and services from U.S. businesses owned by women, as well as double the amount it pays women-run suppliers overseas.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Wednesday by the Commerce Department said that retail sales were flat in August, the weakest showing in three months.

Apparel retail sales fell 0.7% in August, following a 0.3% decline in July.  Department store sales declined 0.3%.  General merchandise stores such as Wal-Mart and Target fared better, with 0.1% gains. Analysts said Hurricane Irene likely disrupted sales in late August along most of the East Coast.

BURLINGTON, N.J. — Burlington Coat Factory reported that total sales for its second quarter increased 8.9% to $793 million and comparable-store sales were up 4%.

For the year-to-date, total sales rose 6.1% to $1.8 billion and same-store sales climbed 2.1%.

WASHINGTON — Retail sales for the month of August were flat, the U.S. Census Bureau disclosed on Wednesday.

Adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, sales totaled $389.5 billion. Compared with the year-ago period, however, sales rose 7.2%. Trade sales edged up slightly by 0.1% from July, as well as 7.5% above August 2010.

Moscow -- Multiple sources in Moscow on Wednesday said that Victoria’s Secret will open its first Russian store in Moscow on Sept. 30.

According to local paper Vedomosti Business Daily, experienced American brand franchisee Moneks will open four Victoria’s Secret stores in and around Moscow prior to year’s end.