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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Limited Brands reported that adjusted earnings per share for the third quarter ended Oct. 29 increased 39% to 25 cents compared with earnings per share of 18 cents for the quarter ended Oct. 30, 2010, which exclude an income tax benefit in 2011 of $16.7 million, or 6 cents per share. Third quarter operating income was $186.1 million compared with operating income of $149.1 million last year, and adjusted net income was $77.6 million compared to net income of $61.3 million last year.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Ross Stores Inc. reported Thursday its third straight quarter of profits, as net income rose 18.6% to $144 million, from $121.4 million a year earlier. Results met Wall Street expectations.

“Operating our business on lower in-store inventories is driving faster turns and lower markdowns, which continues to benefit profit margins,” noted Michael Balmuth, CEO.

Revenue rose 9.2% to $2.05 billion, beating analysts’ predicted $2.03 billion in revenue.

New York City -- PwC US, in its report Experience Radar 2011: Retail Insights, found that retailers that design differentiated ‘experiences’ around their products and services can drive growth, profitability and lasting consumer loyalty, while also maintaining a price premium over competitors.

The study, based on PwC’s Experience Radar methodology, measured the experiences of more than 6,000 U.S. consumers across 11 industries.

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%.

WASHINGTON — Up to 152 million people plan to shop Black Friday Weekend, compared with the 138 million who planned to do so last year, according to a preliminary Black Friday shopping survey, conducted for the National Retail Federation by BIGresearch. According to the survey, 74 million people say they will definitely hit the stores and another 77 million are waiting to see if the bargains are worth the hassle of Black Friday.

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.

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.

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.