Finance & Capital Management

The retail consulting and research firm Customer Growth Partners is out with a new report highlighting the fact that department stores gained market share last year for the first time in nearly three decades. According to CGP’s study, department stores’ share of the U.S. retail market rose for the first time since the 1980’s, fueled both by innovation and superior mall anchor execution combined with top-line weakness at the granddaddy of off-mall big-boxes, Walmart’s U.S. division, which is now suffering through almost two years of lagging sales.

Austin, Texas -- Whole Foods Market’s first quarter net income surged 79% to $88.7 million, on an increase in customer visits and a rise in average transactions. The natural and organic foods grocer raised 2011 profit outlook on its strong results, which beat expectations.

QUINCY, Mass. -- The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company announced the special dedication of a 400 kilowatt fuel cell at its Torringford Street store in East Torrington, Conn. 

According to the company, the fuel cell, a UTC Power PureCell System Model 400, was supported with a grant from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund's On-Site Renewable Distributed Generation Program and is the first fuel cell utilized by the Stop & Shop Supermarket Company. It is expected to generate over 90% of the store's electric energy.

Quincy, Mass. -- The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. announced it is using fuel-cell technology, at its store in East Torrington, Conn.

The fuel cell, a UTC Power PureCell System Model 400, was supported with a grant from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund's On-Site Renewable Distributed Generation Program and is the first fuel-cell utilized by Stop & Shop. It is expected to generate over 90% of the store's electric energy.

A lack of visibility into Walmart’s sales performance coupled with concerns about the pace of a U.S. sales recovery is contributing to some apprehension on Wall Street regarding the company’s fourth-quarter performance.

Scottsdale, Ariz. -- Massage Envy announced Thursday the signing of a multi-unit Regional Developer agreement with Sol Glastein for the development of 11 new centers in Pittsburgh, Western Pennsylvania and Morgantown, W.V.

Glastein has been a Massage Envy franchisee since 2006 and currently operates two centers in New Jersey.

In 2010, Massage Envy opened 43 locations, bringing the total number of locations to more than 650 units operating in 43 states.