Strategy

Minneapolis - The Tile Shop has expanded its presence into New Mexico with the opening of its Albuquerque store. The Tile Shop’s new 22,000-sq.-ft. Albuquerque location features fully decorated, room-size displays — kitchens, baths, and other spaces within a home, as well as premium lighting and plumbing fixtures that allow homeowners to see what their Tile Shop tile and stone will look like installed in their home.

San Francisco – Gap Inc. had a disappointing February 2014 as net sales and same-store sales declined, compared to the same month in the prior year. Net sales fell 4% to $929 million from $966 million, while same-store sales dropped 7%.

New York -- Supervalu directors Mark Neporent and Lenard Tessler have stepped down from the company’s board of directors as a result of Cerberus-owned Albertsons’ deal to acquire Safeway.

Neporent and Tessler were both appointed to the Supervalu board in 2013 as designees of Symphony Investors, a Cerberus Capital Management L.P.-led investor consortium. Symphony Investors owns approximately 20.9% of Supervalu’s outstanding common stock, and has the right to designate replacement directors for Neporent and Tessler.

Foot Locker enjoyed record results for the fourth quarter and full year ended Feb. 1, and expects to build on that momentum in 2014.

For the quarter, the company reported net income of $121 million, or $0.81 per share, for the 13 weeks ended Feb. 1. This represents an increase of 19% over earnings per share of $0.68 for the 14-week period ended Feb. 2, 2013.  

New York – Foot Locker Inc. increased net income 16% to $121 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 from the same period the prior year. Net sales grew 5% to $1.79 billion, from $1.71 billion.

Same-store sales for the quarter grew 5.3%. Looking ahead, the retailer expects to improve same-store sales in the mid-single digits and improve earnings per share by a double-digit percentage in fiscal 2014. Fourth quarter sales and earnings results both beat Wall Street estimates.

Supervalu directors Mark Neporent and Lenard Tessler have stepped down from the company’s board of directors as a result of Cerberus-owned Albertsons’ deal to acquire Safeway.

Neporent and Tessler were both appointed to the Supervalu board in 2013 as designees of Symphony Investors, a Cerberus Capital Management L.P.-led investor consortium. Symphony Investors owns approximately 20.9% of Supervalu’s outstanding common stock, and has the right to designate replacement directors for Neporent and Tessler.

Washington, D.C. – The National Retail Federation (NRF) calculated retail employment was down 6,700 in February 2014, yet up 205,500 year-over-year. The biggest job losses were seen in electronics and appliance stores, and sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores.

Columbus, Ohio - Big Lots Inc. has promoted Timothy A. Johnson to executive VP, CFO. Johnson has served as CFO since 2012 with primary responsibility for all financial disciplines within the company including financial reporting and controls, treasury, risk management, tax, internal audit, financial planning and analysis, and investor relations.