Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc.

A drop in same-store sales led Bed Bath & Beyond to report a 21% decline in profit for the third quarter.

The retailer said same store sales in the third quarter ended Nov. 28 decreased by approximately 0.4%, compared with an increase of approximately 1.7% in last year's fiscal third quarter. Same-store sales from digital channels grew in excess of 25%.

Bed Bath & Beyond reported a profit of $177.8 million, or $1.09 a share, compared with $225.4 million, or $1.23 a share, a year earlier. Revenue rose 0.3% to $2.95 billion.

Nordstrom continues to expand its off-price format, with plans to open a Nordstrom Rack at The Marketplace at Braintree in Braintree, Massachusetts. The approximately 35,000-sq.-ft. store, leased from Seritage Growth Properties is scheduled to open in fall 2016.

Nordstrom Rack at The Marketplace at Braintree will join a diverse group of retailers including Ulta Beauty, Sports Authority, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond and PetSmart. The 351,282-sq.-ft. center is located south of downtown Boston and near main highways including I-93, I-95 and Route 3.

The holiday season got off to a horrible start at Bed Bath & Beyond and things went downhill from there, judging from the industry leader’s uncharacteristic and concerning profit warning.

The company badly missed its third quarter sales and profit forecast for a period that included most of Thanksgiving weekend, and said its same-store sales for the fourth quarter were likely to increase 1%.

The holiday season got off to a horrible start at Bed Bath & Beyond and things went downhill from there, judging from the industry leader's uncharacteristic and concerning profit warning.

When it comes to return policies, Nordstrom and Forever 21 couldn’t be further apart.

At least that’s according to an annual survey of return policies by GOBankingRates.com. The study rated Nordstrom as offering the best return policies of 2015, with Forever 21 offering the worst.

“Return policies should be a big consideration for holiday shoppers — two-thirds of people return at least one holiday gift,” said Elyssa Kirkham, lead reporter on the GOBankingRates study.

When it comes to return policies, Nordstrom and Forever 21 couldn’t be further apart.

Bismarck, N.D. -- The Woodmont Company and Northwest Contracting announce the completion and opening of the first phase of development of Hay Creek Shops in Bismarck, North Dakota. Hay Creek Shops is a regional power center on 33 acres that once complete will total more than 300,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurants.

Phoenix -- BIG Shopping Centers USA and RED Development announced the addition of five retail assets totaling nearly 1.5 million sq. ft. in Arizona, Nebraska and Wisconsin to their recently launched joint venture BIG RED Portfolio.

The joint venture was launched in late 2014 with the acquisition of Camelback Colonnade in Phoenix. With the recent acquisition the portfolio now consists of nine retail assets totaling nearly three million sq. ft. in three states.

The competition for retailers selling online just got a lot more intense with a new price-match policy from Target just ahead of the prime holiday shopping season.

Beginning Oct. 1, Target will price-match the websites of 29 major retailers in stores and for purchases from their website.

Between new formats, e-commerce efforts and supply chain initiatives, interesting times are ahead for Bed Bath & Beyond – even if second quarter sales were weak and profits declined.