Marketing

By Stephen Wyss

As retailers eye avenues for growth in 2012, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) will be a key area of interest and activity.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — TJX Cos. is headed for a strong 2012, thanks to fourth-quarter sales and profit growth. The company reported that its fiscal fourth-quarter profit rose 42% to $475.3 million, from $334.4 million a year earlier. The owner of Marshalls, HomeGoods and T.J. Maxx also announced plans to repurchase up to $1.3 billion of stock this fiscal year.

For the quarter, sales rose 6% to $6.7 billion. Same-store sales increased 7%.

St. Louis -- Save-A-Lot, a wholly owned subsidiary of Supervalu, will open 13 stores in February and March.

The grocer will open three locations in New York bringing the total number of Save-A-Lot stores in the state to 52. In Ohio, it will open three stores, for a total of 128 locations state-wide. The chain will open four stores in Pennsylvania, for a total of 76, and three in Tennessee, for a total of 108.

CHESAPEAKE, Va — Dollar Tree's sales and earnings growth for the fourth quarter and fiscal year is just another example of how discounters dominated in 2011. 

The company reported that net sales for the fourth quarter were $1.95 billion, a 12.8% increase compared with $1.73 billion reported for the quarter ended Jan. 29, 2011. Comparable-store sales increased 7.3%, on top of a 3.9% increase for the fourth quarter 2010.

Fort Meyers, Fla. -- Chico's FAS reported that its fourth quarter earnings rose a better-then-expected 21%, helped by a strong performance of its White House | Black Market brand.

For the quarter, the chain posted a profit of $25.1 million, up from $20.7 million a year earlier.

Sales rose 20% to $569.2 million. Same-store sales increased 8.7%. By division, the Chico's/Soma Intimates brands' comparable sales increased 5.5% and White House | Black Market same-store sales increased 15.4%.

After 30 years in the drug store sector, Michael Bloom left CVS Caremark in September 2011 to become president and COO of Family Dollar Stores. The extreme-value chain has adopted an aggressive growth strategy in recent years, and plans to open 450 to 500 stores in 2012.

Family Dollar is equally committed to improving existing locations. Under its ambitious store-reinvention program, an estimated 1,000 locations are scheduled to be renovated, relocated or expanded this year.

ST. LOUIS — Supervalu subsidiary Save-A-Lot is expanding its presence in Pennsylvania.

The company is slated to open four new stores in Pennsylvania in February and March, bringing the total number of Save-A-Lot stores in the state to 76, the company said.

Mooresville, N.C. -- Lowe’s Cos. announced the promotion of Kevin S. Measel to senior VP store operations for the company’s West division. Measel replaces Jim Frasso, who retired from Lowe’s following a 17-year career with the company.

Measel has more than 28 years of retail experience in both store operations and merchandising, having served most recently as merchandising VP nursery.