Corporate Governance

MIAMI — Winn-Dixie Stores on Tuesday celebrated the completion of its seventh state-of-the-art transformational store and the first to have a bilingual décor package.

Los Angeles -- A report released Tuesday by CBRE Group said that New York City remains the world’s most expensive shopping destination as retailers focus on the major fashion capitals.

“Retailers continued to expand their store networks to gain market share during the third quarter despite concerns regarding consumer confidence,” said Anthony Buono, CBRE executive managing director of retail services.

Pittsburgh -- Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. reported Tuesday that net income for the quarter ended Oct. 29 surged to $41.5 million, from $16.9 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue rose 9% to $1.18 billion from $1.08 billion, beating Wall Street’s anticipated $1.16 billion in revenue.

Same-store sales rose 4.1%.

Milwaukee -- Bon-Ton Stores Inc. said Monday that its CEO Bud Bergren will retire his position once the company finds and hires his successor.

When a new CEO is in place, Bergren will transition to chairman; current executive chairman Tim Grumbacher will vacate the chair but remain a director. Bergren has been CEO since 2004.

The succession plans comes on the heels of same-store sales dips in October and a downwardly modified outlook for the year.
 

New York City -- American Express announced Tuesday that it has launched Target prepaid cards featuring email and text alerts.

The cards, sold exclusively at Target stores, work like debit cards and can be reloaded with cash, and are usually marketed to lower-income consumers who don't have credit cards or checking accounts. Fees on cards can range widely depending on the issuer.

Atlanta -- Supply chain solution-provider RedPrairie Corp. said Tuesday that The Body Shop has gone live with RedPrairie Execution Management at more than 70 stores in Indonesia.

The cosmetics retailer plans to use the solution to streamline both head office and store processes, as well as promote improved efficiencies for in-store marketing activities including product introductions, planogramming, display setups, customer loyalty, and more.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on Tuesday posted the first quarterly revenue gain in its U.S. namesake business in more than two years, but the discounter's profit was down 2.9%. Profit for the quarter ended Oct. 31 was $3.33 billion, missing Wall Street expectations.

Framingham, Mass. -- TJX Cos. reported Tuesday that profit for the quarter ended Oct. 29 rose 15% to $406.5 million, from $372.3 million a year earlier.

Sales increased 5% to $5.79 billion from $5.53 billion, but missed analysts’ expected $5.84 billion. Same-store sales rose 3%.

During the quarter, the retailer increased its store count by a net of 52 stores and increased square footage by 1% over the same period last year.
 

Washington, D.C. -- Retail sales rose more than projected in October, according to figures released Tuesday by the Commerce Department. The report showed that retail sales were up 0.5% in October following a 1.1% increase in September.

Excluding automobile sales, retail sales rose 0.6% in October — the best showing since March. And when excluding autos and sales at gasoline stations, sales rose 0.7%, also the biggest increase since March.

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples Inc. reported Tuesday that profit for the third quarter climbed 13% to $326.4 million, from $288.7 million a year earlier. Earnings met Wall Street expectations.

Revenue rose 1% to $6.57 billion from $6.54 billion, missing analysts’ expected $6.71 billion. North American retail unit revenue was flat at $2.7 billion, with same-store sales down 1%. International revenue slid 7% on a local currency basis to $1.3 billion, leading the retailer to adjust its full-year forecast downward.