Marketing

Perhaps no other retailer is profiting as well from Americans' changing eating habits than Sprouts Farmers Market, which reported record sales and earnings for the fourth quarter.

The Arizona-based grocer said that same-store sales during the period ended Jan. 3 rose 7.4%. Net income was $28.2 million and diluted earnings per share were 18 cents. Net sales were $3.59 billion, a 21% increase compared to reported net sales in 2014. Adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.86, a 19% increase from 2014.

Twenty years after carrying its first craft brew at a single Kalamazoo store, Meijer is selling more than 34 locally-brewed craft beers each minute in Michigan while continuing to add up-and-coming local breweries to an extensive selection that rivals specialty stores across the Midwest.

Meijer says it expects to continue five years of double-digit volume growth in craft beer sales and plans to sell more than $90 million in craft beer in 2016, including $30 million in local and hyper-local craft beers produced by breweries in Michigan.

J.C. Penney continues to be a bright spot in the retail sector with impressive increases in same-store sales and earnings, as well as a new marketing campaign that is generating a lot of buzz.

On Thursday, the retailer announced that same store sales grew 4.1 % for the fourth quarter ended Jan. 30. A combination of strong sales growth, accelerated gross margins and disciplined expense reduction resulted in full year adjusted EBITDA of $715 million, a $435 million increase.

Online deal provider Groupon has joined an elite group – companies that have sold one billion products.

In Groupon’s case, the product is also known as a “Groupon,” or a limited-time, localized online promotion. It took Groupon, which launched in October 2008, roughly seven-and-a-half years to reach the billion-Groupon mark.

San Diego -- OliverMcMillan announced plans to transform the former theatre building at 5th Avenue and G Street located in the Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego.

“Our vision is to revitalize this active corner perfectly situated in the heart of the Gaslamp. Redeveloping this prime site will provide Downtown more opportunities to engage our local community and tourists alike,” said Dene Oliver, CEO of OliverMcMillan.

Boston-based online home furnishings retailer Wayfair Inc. managed to shrink its net loss in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 while other financial results soared.

Wayfair reported net loss of $15.49 million, down from $72.55 million in the same quarter a year earlier. Growth in cost of goods sold, operating expenses and other costs did not match the rate of revenue growth. Net revenue increased 81% to $739.79 million, from $408.62 million.

Chicago -- CBRE Group announced that Blake Johnson has joined CBRE Capital Markets as executive VP. Based in Chicago, Johnson will join the firm’s Institutional Properties team and will be responsible for office investment sales, with a concentrated focus on Chicago central business district (CBD) office transactions. Johnson will partner with Paul Lundstedt, Dan Deuter, Tom Sitz and Cody Hundertmark to expand the firm’s market share in the region.

The parent company of Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works credited the strength of its brands with helping it to buck the financial doldrums affecting many other retailers in the fourth quarter.

For the period ended Jan. 30, L Brands earned $636 million, or $2.15 a share, up from $564.8 million, or $1.89 a share, a year earlier. Net income increased 13% to $636.0 million, compared to $564.8 million last year. Net sales were $4.395 billion, an increase of 8%. Same-store sales increased 6%.