Marketing

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penney Co. reported Monday a loss of $143 million for the quarter ended Oct. 29, compared with a profit of $44 million in the year-ago period. Sagging comps and shrinking margins led to the performance decline.

For the quarter, sales dropped 4.8% to $3.99 billion, reflecting the company’s exit from its catalog and catalog outlet businesses, which it sold off during the quarter. 

As previously reported, same-store sales dipped 1.6%.

Matthews, N.C. -- Family Dollar has entered the state of California, opening four stores, in Ontario, Rialto, Riverside and Fontana.

The discounter plans to open 450-500 new stores in fiscal 2012.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings announced that its Sears Outlet stores will honor competitor's Black Friday ads through Nov. 30. Customers may bring in a Black Friday ad they find online, and if Sears Outlet has the same item model, brand and color in the store, they will match the price at the time of purchase, even if it is before Black Friday. Full price match details are available at www.searsoutlet.com/holidaypricematch.

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Body Central Corp., which operates under the Body Central and Body Shop banners, reported Friday that net income for the third quarter more than doubled to $2.8 million, from $1.3 million a year earlier.

Total revenue rose 18% to $67.1 million, compared with $56.9 million a year ago. Results were boosted by a 21.2% increase in store sales. Same-store sales rose 8.2%.

The company opened five new stores during the third quarter and is on track to open 33 new stores in 2011.
 

Portland, Maine -- Brixmor Property Group announced a 11,002-sq.-ft. Dollar Tree recently opened at Pine Tree Shopping Center, in Portland, Maine.

Brixmor, based in New York City, is the owner of Pine Tree Shopping Center.
 

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- A Friday report in Advertising Age said that Kohl’s Corp. has added $30 million to its fourth quarter marketing spend in order to pad its efforts to garner holiday shopping dollars.

In 2010, the retailer spent $113 million on measured media in the fourth quarter, according to the report, and will spend about $143 million this year. Annually, Kohl’s spends $340 million.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Lowe’s announced that it has named Eric Wiseman, president and CEO of apparel manufacturer VF Corp., to its board of directors. Wiseman will serve on the board’s compensation and governance committees. 

Wiseman has been CEO of VF Corp., whose brands include The North Face, Timberland, Vans and Wrangler, since January 2008. Before being named CEO, Wiseman served as president and chief operating officer from 2006 to 2007, responsible for VF’s global business and day-to-day operations.

Dallas -- Cypress Equities said it has expanded its corporate leasing team with the addition of Karly Kilroy and Allison Campbell.

Kilroy joins Cypress as senior leasing manager and is responsible for developing and leveraging relationships with potential tenants and facilitating leasing solutions for Cypress’ nationwide retail and mixed-use projects.