Research Topic

Yonkers, N.Y. -- After three consecutive months of improvement, the Consumer Reports Index for March slipped to 46.1, from 49.6 last month.

March's Consumer Reports Index measures overall consumer financial health and showed that the confidence of the American consumer is waning.

Further challenging consumer confidence, The Trouble Tracker Index increased slightly this month to 52.2 from 49.1 in February, and is now at its highest level since August 2011.

Columbus, Ohio -- Big Lots’ fourth-quarter net income rose 4% to $114.7 million for the period ended Jan. 28, up from $110.1 million a year earlier. The chain also said it anticipates 90 new store openings in the United States in 2012.

Big Lots’ revenue in the quarter rose 10% to $1.67 billion, from $1.52 billion.

The Center for Retail Excellence at the University of Arkansas’ Sam M. Walton College of Business is scheduled to hold its second annual SHOP conference on May 1 with Walmart’s head of global consumer insights recently confirmed as a guest speaker.

Nashville, Tenn. -- Footwear retailer Genesco Inc. said its fourth-quarter net income from continuing operations rose to $41.5 million from $31.4 million a year ago. Its results easily topped Wall Street expectations.

Revenue in the quarter rose 29% to $723 million. Same-store sales increased 12%. By brand, same-store sales were up 13% at Lids Sports Group and 14% at the Journeys Group. Johnston & Murphy Retail’s sales increased by 8%, and Underground Station decreased by 4%.
 

CHELMSFORD, Mass. — The Kronos Retail Labor Index released by the company on Thursday showed that retail hiring is on the rise, even as fewer people seek jobs in the retail sector.

The Index jumped to 4.2%, up nearly 7% from last year, indicating a potential recovery in the labor market. The number of applications edged down 1.3% , which is down nearly 6% from its level one year ago, pointing to applicants seeking employment in other growing industries.

Suffern, N.Y. -- Ascenta Retail Group Inc., whose brands include Dressbarn, Maurices, and Justice, said its fiscal second-quarter profit rose 50% on higher sales. The company raised its earnings forecast for the current fiscal year.

Ascena said that during the quarter ended Jan. 28 it earned $63.7 million, compared with $42.5 million in the same period a year before.

Revenue during the quarter rose 15% to $862 million. E-commerce sales jumped 61% to $52 million in the quarter.

Port Washington, N.Y. -- There is evidence in the home retail sector that consumers increasingly are first researching a product in physical store and then making their actual purchase online, according to The NPD Group.

Phoenix -- PetSmart Inc. reported Thursday that profit for the fourth quarter rose 13% to $102 million, compared with $90.3 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue during the quarter was $1.64 billion, up from $1.52 billion a year earlier and beating Wall Street’s expected $1.62 billion in revenue. Same-store sales rose 5.5%.

For the full year of 2011, the company reported net income of $290.2 million, up from $239.9 million in 2010. Revenue for the year was $6.11 billion, up from $5.69 billion the year before.