Seasonal

Indianapolis -- Hhgregg Tuesday announced the grand opening of a new location at the Chapel Hill Mall, Akron, Ohio, on March 10.

The new store will replace Hhgregg’s older location in Akron, Ohio.

“The store’s new location and design will provide shoppers in the Akron area with a modern, convenient shopping experience,” said Jeff Pearson, VP marketing, Hhgregg. “We hope that shoppers will come into the store to see the new layout and take advantage of grand opening specials.”

For a company so often on the leading edge of offering its shopper affordable fashions in the apparel and home categories, there is one area where Target has been slow to keep pace with the prevailing trend.

Shanghai, China -- Mattel announced Monday that it has closed its much-acclaimed Barbie flagship store, which opened March 2009 in Shanghai.

The El Segundo, Calif.-based toy manufacturer, which officially closed the store’s doors on Monday, cited a change in strategy as reason for the closure. Mattel said in a statement that it plans to promote the Barbie brand via road tour -- on a pink tour bus.

MINNEAPOLIS — February same-store sales at Target advanced 1.8%, thanks to the addition of fresh food and consumables that are part of an aggressive remodeling program causing more people to shop its stores. The company said more than half of its February same store-sales gain was driven by an increase in transactions combined with a small increase in the average transaction size. The 1.8% gain comes on top of a 2.4% increase in February 2010.

NEW YORK -- Sales at Macy’s, JCPenney and Kohl’s surpassed analysts’ estimates in February amid gradually moderating temperatures and rising consumer confidence. However, analysts warned that a late Easter and rising gasoline prices could impact sales going forward.

Confidence among U.S. consumers rose in February to the highest level in three years, according to a Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan index, as a drop in unemployment helped overcome concern over rising food and fuel costs.

New York City -- Sales at Macy’s, J.C. Penney and Kohl’s surpassed analysts’ estimates in February amid gradually moderating temperatures and rising consumer confidence. However, analysts warned that a late Easter and rising gasoline prices could impact sales going forward.

Confidence among U.S. consumers rose in February to the highest level in three years, according to a Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan index, as a drop in unemployment helped overcome concern over rising food and fuel costs.

New York City -- Many retailers reported better-than-expected sales in February amid milder mid-month temperatures in many parts of the country. But some warned of a weaker March due the timing of the Easter holiday. Analysts also cautioned that rising fuel prices may damper consumer spending going forward.

The Thomson Reuters Same-Store Sales Index rose 4.2% in February, topping estimates for a 3.6% increase, and also rising higher than in the year-ago period.

Framingham, Mass. -- Fourth-quarter sales at Staples increased slightly to $6.4 billion, net income increased 17% to $275 million, and earnings per share increased 19% to 38 cents courtesy of a favorable tax benefit of six cents.

Staples chairman and CEO said he was proud of all the company achieved in 2010.

 ISSAQUAH, Wash. and WESTBOROUGH, Mass. -- The past three-months were favorable to the warehouse sector, as both Costco and BJ’s Wholesale reported quarterly results that were in-line with or beat analysts’ expectations.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The weak sales and profits reported Wednesday by West Coast sporting goods retailer Big 5 weren’t a surprise, as the company had warned Wall Street more than a month ago that financial results would be below expectations.