Marketing Tactics

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Stein Mart Inc. reported Thursday that it moved to a loss in the quarter ended Oct. 29, recording a loss of $1.8 million compared with a profit of $4.3 million a year earlier.

Gross profit margin fell to 23.8% from 25.4%, due mainly to increased markdowns and higher buying costs.
 
Revenue dropped 4% to $258.5 million from $267.9 million, a consistent trend since 2007. Same-store sales fell 2.9%.

Solihull, England -- Visitor analytics provider Experian FootFall said Thursday that Black Friday’s retail performance isn’t necessarily an indication of how the holiday season will fare.

Chicago -- According to a BDO USA survey of 100 CMOs at leading U.S. retailers, just 27% expect to see an increase in Black Friday sales, down from 38% in 2010.

Similarly, only 24% project an increase in Cyber Monday sales, with the vast majority (74%) expecting flat sales. Overall, CMOs project a 1.6% increase in Black Friday sales (down from 3.8% in 2010) and a 2.5% increase in Cyber Monday sales.

New York City -- A report released Thursday by the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs said that 34% of consumers plan to shop on Black Friday, up from 31% in 2010 and 26% in 2009.

“In addition to buying gifts, consumers overwhelmingly indicated that they would be looking for bargains on Black Friday for themselves as well,” said Michael P. Niemira, chief economist and director of research for ICSC.

New York City – E-commerce sales in the U.S. for the November and December holiday shopping season will rise 16.8% to $46.7 billion in 2011, up from $39.9 billion last year and representing a pace five times faster than total retail industry growth, according to eMarketer.

That means online sales growth will reach double digits for the third consecutive year, even though the economy remains shaky and consumers are keeping tight budgets.

Indianapolis -- Simon Property Group announced a joint venture with Woodmont Outlets and EWB Development to develop, lease and manage St. Louis Premium Outlets, a new upscale outlet center in Chesterfield, Mo. 

The new outlet center, which was announced in October as Spirit of St. Louis Outlets, will be comprised of 55 acres and will anchor Chesterfield Blue Valley, a mixed-use development to include office space, hotel, restaurant and entertainment venues. 

Columbus, Ohio -- Limited Brands Inc. reported Wednesday that profit for the third quarter rose 22% on higher sales at its Victoria’s Secret and Bath and Body Works chains.

Net income rose to $94.3 million from $61.3 million a year earlier. As reported previously, revenue rose 10% to $2.17 billion.

The company has raised its outlook for the fourth quarter.
 

Washington, D.C. -- A survey released Thursday by the National Retail Federation said that the number of people “definitely” shopping stores and websites on Black Friday as jumped to 33%, from 27% in 2010.

Apartment 32, a new retail concept from apparel and outerwear manufacturer Weatherproof, is designed to resemble a chic Manhattan apartment, one that invites shoppers to enjoy the comforts of a modern home. It’s also one that has an unusual “leave your Blackberry at the door” policy.

NEW YORK — Shoppers today are more knowledgeable than ever when it comes to finding deals on their favorite products, and many won't even set foot in store until they have an idea of their potential savings, according to the Deloitte/Harrison Group annual American Pantry Survey.