Strategy

Ahold USA first quarter sales were up 4% to $8.2 billion. Excluding gas, sales increased 4.1% at constant exchange rates. The addition of 25 A&P stores in the New York Metro market in fourth quarter 2015 was the main contributor to the overall sales growth and resulted in an overall market share improvement in both dollars and volume, Ahold reported.

A cold spring helped dampen sales and earnings at one of the nation’s leading apparel companies.
 
Ascena Retail, whose brands include Ann Taylor, Loft, Lane Bryant, Catherines, Justice and Dressbarn, reported profit of $15 million in the third quarter, ended April 23, down from $24 million in the year-ago period.
 

Fred’s on Thursday reported its earnings for the first quarter ended April 30, posting an 8% increase in total sales and a net income of $1.3 million. The company saw comparable store sales increase 1% for the first quarter, which is slightly better than the 0.8% increase in comps it posted in Q1 2015. 

The e-commerce landscape just shifted with the announcement Salesforce will purchase Demandware for $2.8 billion.
 
Demandware’s recently enhanced flagship Commerce Cloud platform is one of the leading e-commerce solutions on the market. Notable retail Demandware users include Lands’ End, Marks & Spencer, Urban Decay, and True Religion. According to figures released by IHL in December 2015, Demandware is the number two retail SaaS company by installed revenue, trailing only Microsoft.
 

Chip Wilson, the founder of Lululemon Athletica Inc., is not one to mince words.

Wilson, the company’s largest shareholder with a 14.2% stake, on Wednesday issued an open letter to investors in which he sharply criticized the apparel retailer’s management, calling its competence “uninspiring at best.” He called for annual election of the board to hold members accountable for Lululemon’s performance.

J.C. Penney Co. said Wednesday it is proposing to refinance a $2.25 billion senior secured term loan, and to extend the maturity of the loan, which is currently set at May 2018. The transaction is expected to be complete in June.

Penney also reported positive same-store sales for its quarter-to-date through Memorial Day.
 

Ahold USA first quarter sales were up 4% to $8.2 billion. Excluding gas, sales increased 4.1% at constant exchange rates. The addition of 25 A&P stores in the New York Metro market in fourth quarter 2015 was the main contributor to the overall sales growth and resulted in an overall market share improvement in both dollars and volume, Ahold reported.

It’s been a long time, but Rite Aid Corp. is opening a new distribution center.

Located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the facility is the company’s first new distribution center in 16 years. Rite Aid is currently awaiting regulatory approval for a proposed $17.2 billion merger with Walgreens Boots Alliance.