Corporate Governance

GNC disappoints in Q2
Pittsburgh – GNC Holdings Inc. missed Wall Street expectations for profit and revenue in a generally disappointing second quarter of fiscal 2015. GNC reported net income of $67.4 million, a decrease of 4% from $69.9 million for second quarter 2014.

Cost of sales increases were a key factor in reduced net income. GNC reported consolidated revenue of $678.5 million, an increase of 0.5% as compared with $675.2 million. Revenue growth was limited by a 2.8% same-store sales drop in company-owned stores, including GNC.com.
Dairy Queen gives customer data security fit for a king
Minneapolis – Dairy Queen restaurants thrive on providing customers treats, not exposing them to tricks from hackers and fraudsters.

To ensure the good times keep rolling, American Dairy Queen Corp. (ADQ) in the U.S. is deploying the cloud-based Netsurion managed firewall platform to strengthen network security and Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance to protect customer data.

Rite Aid sales heat up

Camp Hill, Pa. – The temperature wasn’t the only thing rising at Rite Aid stores during July 2015.

Same-store sales rose 2.4%, with front-end same store sales increasing 0.1%. Pharmacy same-store sales, which included an approximate 2.21% negative impact from new generic introductions, increased 3.4%.
CVS Health, IBM team up for health solution

WOONSOCKET, R.I., and ARMONK, N.Y. — CVS Health and IBM on Thursday announced they will use predictive analytics and Watson cognitive computing for care management services for patients with chronic disease.
Jones New York has been saved, sort of

After announcing in January that it would close all of its 127 retail locations, Jones New York is back -- at least in the Great White North.
O'really, auto parts chain in high gear

O'Reilly Automotive reported another record-breaking quarter of financial results as the retailer revs up plans to expand its distribution network and store footprint.

The auto parts retailer reported that sales for the second quarter ended June 30 increased $188 million, or 10%, to $2.04 billion from $1.85 billion for the same period one year ago. Same store sales increased 7.2%.

This year, O’Reilly plans to add a net 205 stores, compared with 200 stores in 2014. In the latest period, it opened 34 stores.
Procter & Gamble names new CEO

Procter & Gamble Co. has named a successor to the man who led the company's recent transformation.
Smooth sailing for West Marine in Q2

West Marine's renewed focus on omnichannel growth seems to be paying off as the specialty retailer reported a big spike in same store sales in the second quarter.
Skechers aims to sprint past competition

Skechers USA Inc., which recently passed Adidas to become the number two athletic footwear brand in the United States, is on the fast track.

The company, whose second quarter sales beat estimates, has carved out a lucrative niche in casual athletic footwear and in kids’ athletic footwear. It is in expansion mode, with plans to open 125 to 135 company-owned and third-party-owned stores later this year.
Dick's Sporting Goods steps up to the plate for kids

Dick's Sporting Goods is stepping up to support a cause that will likely appeal to many of the retailer's core customers: funding for public school athletic programs.
Best Buy makes online shopping even easier

Best Buy is taking another leap forward in its quest to make shopping across platforms as easy as possible for consumers.

The retailer, in partnership with American Express, has integrated new technology that allows Amex card members enrolled in the Amex Membership Rewards program to seamlessly use their points for online purchases on BestBuy.com. In addition card members can use their membership rewards points for all or part of each online purchase and either pick it up in one of Best Buy’s stores or have it delivered to their doors.
Longtime Kroger executive to step down

The Kroger Co.’s first female corporate officer is retiring.