Seasonal

Those of us who’ve been around retail for a while remember the shutdown that brought West Coast port operations to a halt in the fall of 2002.

Atlanta - Consumer year-over-year spending growth of 4.1% gained momentum in April 2014 compared to the prior month’s growth of 3.1%, driven by warmer weather as well as the Easter shift into April this year, according to First Data SpendTrend analysis. The report, which tracks same-store point-of-sale data by credit, signature debit, PIN debit, EBT, closed-loop prepaid cards and checks from nearly four million merchant locations serviced by First Data, shows transaction growth of 3.5% in April,  compared to March’s 2.7% growth.

Tuesday Morning Corporation’s turnaround efforts paid off in the third quarter ended March 31. The company reported strong comparable store sales performance, increased inventory turnover and improved cash position during the quarter.

The leading closeout retailer that operates 811 stores across the U.S. reported net sales of $182.8 million, an increase of 2.6% compared to $178.1 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2013.

New York – A shrinking net loss was the only positive result from the tough first quarter fiscal 2014 numbers posted by Cache Inc. Net loss shrank to $10.8 million from $17.8 million in the same quarter a year earlier.

Cache’s net sales dropped 11% to $47.4 million, from $53.5 million. Same-store sales declined 8.9%, with the shift in Easter contributing. Jay Margolis, chairman and CEO of Cache, tried to strike an encouraging tone.

A shrinking net loss was the only positive result from the tough first quarter fiscal 2014 numbers posted by Caché. Net loss shrank to $10.8 million from $17.8 million in the same quarter a year earlier.

Caché’s net sales dropped 11% to $47.4 million, from $53.5 million. Same-store sales declined 8.9%, with the shift in Easter contributing. Jay Margolis, Caché’s chairman and CEO, tried to strike an encouraging tone.

Sports Authority has partnered with the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), the largest private funder of melanoma research, to raise skin cancer awareness and funds to support studies aimed at its treatment and cure.

This is the fourth consecutive year Sports Authority has participated in and supported the effort.

With 474 locations across 43 states and Puerto Rico, Sports Authority is supporting an extensive outreach campaign this month to coincide with Melanoma Awareness Month.

Purchase, N.Y. -- After several months of sluggish retail sales, consumer shopping in the U.S. rebounded in April, according to the latest MasterCard SpendingPulse report, which aggregate national retail sales activity in the MasterCard payments network, coupled with estimates for all other payment forms, including cash and check.

Brisbane, Calif. – Bebe Stores Inc. reported a net loss of $24.3 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2014, an improvement from the net loss of $49.3 million recorded in the same quarter a year earlier.

However, net sales were $93.5 million, a decrease of 17.2% from $112.9 million for the third quarter a year ago.

Same-store sales for the quarter decreased 5.7%.

Bebe stores cited various factors, among them severe weather conditions that caused 136 store closures, the shuttering of 19 unproductive stores and the timing of Easter in late April, as contributing to its 17.2% net sales decrease in the third quarter from the prior-year quarter.  

Net sales dropped to $93.5 million from $112.9 million for the third quarter a year ago. Comparable store sales for the quarter decreased 5.7%. The sales decrease, according to the company, was also fueled by one fewer retail week in January in the current fiscal year.

New York -- Many retailers reported better than expected sales in April, helped by warmer weather and a later-than-usual Easter. Gap Inc., L Brands, Costco Wholesale Club, The Buckle, Stein Mart and Zumiez all came in ahead of analysts estimates.

At Gap Inc., same-store rose a better-than-expected 9% in April. By banner, sales were up 3% at Gap stores, 7% at Banana Republic and 18% at Old Navy. Analysts had expected Gap’s total same-store sales to inch up 0.1%.