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New York City -- Saks returned to profitability in its fiscal fourth quarter as the chain sold more items at full-price and used fewer promotions. The company reported net income of $25 million for the period ended Jan. 29, compared with a loss of $4.6 million a year earlier.

Revenue rose 7% to $866.3 million, topping Wall Street's estimate of $854.4 million. Same store sales were up 8.4%.

Chesapeake, Va. -- Dollar Tree's fiscal fourth-quarter earnings rose 20.4% to $162.5 million amid rising sales and widening margins.

Net sales for the quarter, which ended Jan. 30, increased 10.7% to $1.73 billion . Same-store sales were up 3.9%.

The company's top-performing categories in the quarter included food, party supplies, health and beauty care, and housewares and home products.

Chain Store Age has launched the fourth edition of its New Product Digest, which is designed to provide retailers with the latest news regarding new products and services, and to help suppliers promote their companies while influencing buying decisions.
 
The companies featured in this volume include Federal Health Specialty Contracting, The Maintenance Company and DuctSox. Check out this month's edition.

Atlanta -- Home Depot reported Tuesday that profit for the quarter ended Jan. 30 surged 72% to $587 million, compared with $342 million a year earlier, and and the home-improvement chain provided 2011 guidance at or above the views it gave in December. Results were helped by a strong showing in the United States.

Revenue increased 3.8% to $15.12 billion, beating Wall Street expectations of $14.81 billion. Same-store sales rose 3.9% and were up 4.8% in the United States.

St. Louis -- Build-A-Bear Workshop said Thursday that it recorded net income of $8.3 million in the fiscal fourth quarter, compared with a loss of $0.9 million in the year-ago period.

Total sales for the period rose 2.2% to $125.8 million, from $123.1 million a year earlier. Same-store sales companywide dipped 3.7%.

For the full year, total revenues rose 1.4% to $401.5 million.

New York City -- A report released Thursday by American Express Business Insights said that spending in the fourth quarter was up across the board, but the retail sector spend growth was more subdued despite the holiday shopping season.

Walmart earlier this week named Cindy Davis EVP of a newly created global consumer insights business unit. She will be responsible for understanding broad consumer trends world wide and creating advanced analytical tools to support Walmart’s business, a sizeable task considering Walmart’s expanding global empire and the diversity of markets being served.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Thursday by the Labor Department said that applications for jobless benefits increased by 25,000 to 410,000 in the week ended Feb. 12, exceeding the 400,000 median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.

The filings increase indicates that labor market will take time to develop.

The total number of people receiving unemployment insurance was little changed, while those collecting extended payments decreased.