Marketing

CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Dollar Tree posted big sales and earnings growth for the quarter, showing that discounters remain dominant in this economy. The company reported that consolidated net sales for the third quarter were $1.60 billion, an 11.9% increase compared with $1.43 billion reported for the quarter ended Oct. 30, 2010. Comparable-store sales increased 4.8%, on top of an 8.7% increase for the third quarter 2010.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Limited Brands reported that adjusted earnings per share for the third quarter ended Oct. 29 increased 39% to 25 cents compared with earnings per share of 18 cents for the quarter ended Oct. 30, 2010, which exclude an income tax benefit in 2011 of $16.7 million, or 6 cents per share. Third quarter operating income was $186.1 million compared with operating income of $149.1 million last year, and adjusted net income was $77.6 million compared to net income of $61.3 million last year.

SAN FRANCISCO — Ahmad Ouri has been named president of Premier Retail Networks, a global leader in digital place-based media services. Based in San Francisco, Ouri will oversee all PRN activities and lead the development and strategic growth of the company, which is wholly owned by Technicolor.

San Francisco – Williams-Sonoma Inc. reported Thursday that profit for the third quarter rose 19% to $43.4 million, from $36.5 million in the same period last year.

Revenue rose 6% to $867.2 million, compared with $815.5 million last year and solidly beating Wall Street’s expected $855.7 million in revenue.

Same-store sales overall rose 7.3%, comprised of a 7% rise in the company’s Pottery Barn stores, a 5.2% rise at Pottery Barn Kids and a 27% surge at West Elm. Same-store sales at namesake stores were up a slight 0.1%.

New York City -- PwC US, in its report Experience Radar 2011: Retail Insights, found that retailers that design differentiated ‘experiences’ around their products and services can drive growth, profitability and lasting consumer loyalty, while also maintaining a price premium over competitors.

The study, based on PwC’s Experience Radar methodology, measured the experiences of more than 6,000 U.S. consumers across 11 industries.

Cleveland -- Forest City Commercial Management announced that it will test a new survey technology by U.K.-based Path Intelligence to track mall shopping behavior and flow by using mobile phones. 

The surveys will be conducted at Promenade Temecula in Southern California and Short Pump Town Center in Richmond, Va., from Black Friday to New Year’s Day. They mark the first use of this kind of technology in a mall setting.

Indianapolis -- Simon Property Group announced a joint venture with Woodmont Outlets and EWB Development to develop, lease and manage St. Louis Premium Outlets, a new upscale outlet center in Chesterfield, Mo. 

The new outlet center, which was announced in October as Spirit of St. Louis Outlets, will be comprised of 55 acres and will anchor Chesterfield Blue Valley, a mixed-use development to include office space, hotel, restaurant and entertainment venues. 

Dallas -- SRS Real Estate Partners announced it has hired Kyle Stonis as a senior VP in the Atlanta office.

Stonis will focus on strengthening the investment sales platform for SRS in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast.

Previous to SRS, Stonis worked for Bull Realty in Atlanta as a retail investment broker and senior VP.

Dallas -- Cake retailer Nothing Bundt Cakes said it is expanding its Texas presence with four new leases.

The retailer worked with Venture Commercial Real Estate to negotiate new stores in Arlington, Frisco, Flower Mound and Rockwall.

Nothing Bundt Cakes entered the North Texas market in 2007 with a Southlake store and has since added locations in Dallas, Fort Worth and McKinney. The four new leases will bring the total to eight locations open by the end of 2011, with plans to open stores in Plano and the Lake Highlands area in 2012.

Dallas -- SRS Real Estate Partners said it has hired two new team members in the Chicago office.

Tim Henry has been named senior VP and market leader. He was previously a founding principal with National Facilities Group.

Todd Gould was named senior VP.