Marketing

San Francisco -- Williams-Sonoma reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended May 1 jumped 62% to $31.6 million, from $19.5 million a year earlier, topping company expectations.

Revenue rose 7.4% to $770.8 million, better than expected.

Same-store sales, which includes direct-to-consumer revenue, rose 9%. Same-store sales rose 3.1% at the namesake brand, 7.9% at Pottery Barn and a record 11% at Pottery Barn Kids.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Holding Corp. reported Thursday that it recorded a bigger-than-expected loss in the first quarter as its shoppers cut back on spending. The chain said it lost $170 million, compared with net income of $16 million in the year-ago period.

The retailer had cautioned earlier in May that it expected a first-quarter loss due mainly to a drop in appliance, clothing and consumer electronic sales.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Bath and Body Works announced that it has named Nick Coe, formerly president of Lands' End, as its new CEO. The current CEO of Bath and Body Works, Diane Neal, will remain in her role as CEO through summer and then transition into an advisory role with the company from San Francisco. 

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.  — Staples reported that total company sales for the first quarter of 2011 increased 2% to $6.2 billion compared with the first quarter of 2010.  Net income for the first quarter of 2011 increased 5% year-over-year to $198 million, and diluted earnings per share, on a GAAP basis, increased 8% to 28 cents from 26 cents in the first quarter of 2010.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Amazon.com announced that it plans to expand its customer service center in Grand Forks, N.D.,  creating more than 200 full-time jobs and hundreds of seasonal jobs at the facility by the end of 2012.

FAIRFIELD, Conn. — The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company announced that it has finalized its acquisition of five New Jersey Shore-area Foodtown supermarkets previously owned by Norkus Enterprises Inc. The transaction involves stores in Freehold Township, Manalapan, Neptune City, Point Pleasant Beach and Long Branch. Stop &Shop currently operates 10 stores in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

SAN FRANCISCO — Del Monte Foods Co. announced that it has appointed David West as its new CEO, effective Aug. 15. West will also join the company's board of directors in June.

Seattle --Nordstrom announced it will open a 42,222-sq.-ft. Nordstrom Rack at Westfield Plaza Bonita shopping center in National City, Calif. The new store will open on Oct. 27.

The new Nordstrom Rack will be the company's third Rack store in the greater San Diego area, joining Westfield Mission Valley in San Diego and Grand Plaza in San Marcos.
 

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation Wednesday launched a major nationwide 60-day lobbying, grassroots and media campaign aimed at ensuring that a new federal law saving retailers and their customers more than $1 billion a month by lowering “swipe” fees banks charge to process debit-card transactions takes effect in late July as scheduled.

New Albany, Ohio -- Abercrombie & Fitch Co. said Wednesday that overseas strength pushed its net income to $25.1 million for the first quarter, compared with a loss of $11.8 million a year earlier.

As previously reported, revenue rose 22% to $837 million, helped by a 64% surge in international revenue.