Research Topic

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Family Dollar Stores announced Wednesday that it plans to open 450 to 500 new stores in fiscal 2012, a 50% jump compared with the number of openings in fiscal 2011, and will renovate, relocate or expand over 1,000 locations. The discounter also reported that its fiscal fourth-quarter net income rose 8%.

“In fiscal 2012, we intend to accelerate investments to drive sales and profitability,” said Howard Levine, chairman and CEO.

Matthews, N.C. -- Family Dollar Stores announced Wednesday that it plans to open 450 to 500 new stores in fiscal 2012, a 50% jump compared with the number of openings in fiscal 2011, and will renovate, relocate or expand over 1,000 locations. The discounter also reported that its fiscal fourth-quarter net income rose 8%.

“In fiscal 2012, we intend to accelerate investments to drive sales and profitability,” said Howard Levine, chairman and CEO.

WASHINGTON — Halloween will be a popular holiday this year, according to the National Retail Federation, as more consumers this year are expected to partake in traditional festivities. 

Washington, D.C. -- Halloween celebrations will be booming this year as more people than ever are expected to partake in traditional festivities. According to NRF’s 2011 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey conducted by BIGresearch, seven in 10 Americans (68.6%) plan to celebrate Halloween, up from 63.8% last year and the most in NRF’s 10-year survey history.

MORRISVILLE, N.C. — Macy’s and  JCPenney rank as the nation’s top “local” advertisers, according to a new report from RSR Research. The study, “The Local Approach: The State of Localized Advertising in Retail,” finds most major retailers are missing huge opportunities to drive store traffic through localized digital advertising campaigns.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Lowe's announced that for the 2011 to 2012 school year it will donate more than $4 million to support education. 

Through its Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation, the company is providing funds for school systems across America through Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grants; Teach for America; Project L.I.F.T; Hispanic Scholarship Fund; Thurgood Marshall College Fund; Lowe’s Scholarships and Carl Buchan Scholarships.

Atlanta -- The prepaid gift card market remained healthy in the first half of 2011, experiencing a higher rate of growth than U.S. consumer spending despite the sluggish macroeconomic environment. That’s one finding of a new analysis on the U.S. gift card market from First Data Advisors.