Seasonal

Charlotte, N.C. – Belk Inc. credited strong holiday sales for helping to boost net income in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 8% to $104.4 million from $96.3 million the same period a year earlier.

 Net sales rose 5% to $1.39 billion from $1.32 billion, driven by a 2.4% increase in same-store sales and 42% surge in online sales.

The sports retail market has been strong for Foot Locker and similar retailers, but not for Finish Line, which reported a drop in holiday quarter profit.

It’s the busiest time of year for the Home Depot and this cool time lapse video from store 116 in Woodstock, Ga., shows the considerable effort that goes into resetting the retailer’s indoor seasonal department. For more on the retailer's spring time efforts check out the following, http://builtfromscratch.homedepot.com/merchandising-spring

Belk’s efforts on community involvement received a boost in 2015, as the company reported that it donated more than $21.5 million to local communities last year.

Of the total amount, Belk corporate dollars funded $6.1 million to more than 250 nonprofit organizations, with a focus on education, breast cancer research and awareness, and community strengthening, the company said. The remainder of the funding includes associate, vendor and customer dollars raised in Belk-led charitable events, including the Belk Charity Sale.

It’s the busiest time of year for the Home Depot and this cool time lapse video from store 116 in Woodstock, Ga., shows the considerable effort that goes into resetting the retailer’s indoor seasonal department.

Most Americans plan to stock up on food and clothing for the Easter holiday, according to the National Retail Federation.

NRF’s Easter Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics reports that the average person celebrating Easter will spend $140.62, slightly more than last year’s $137.46. Total spending for Easter, which includes purchases of apparel, decorations, gifts, candy, food, flowers and more, is expected to reach $16.4 billion.

Build-A-Bear Workshop is hoping that its new Easter Collection will persuade shoppers to hop right in for a chance to buy one of the retailer’s new customizable holiday toys. 

Build-A-Bear’s new Easter line features an assortment of customizable furry friends with unique personalization options, from sounds to accessories.

The Path to Purchase Institute this week bestowed Effie awards to top retailers and brand for their marketing effectiveness.

Winners of the 5th annual Shopper Marketing Effie Awards were celebrated at the Path to Purchase Institute’s 2015 Shopper Marketing Summit. The awards honor work that showcases the best utilization of shopper insights that lead to effective engagements and activations with shoppers along their path to purchase.