Belk

Charlotte, N.C. – June is the traditional wedding month, and Belk Inc. is making things easier for marriage-minded customers with a new wedding registry app. The Android and iOS app offers features including a registry checklist and tips for brides and grooms-to-be.

In addition, a thank you note assistant automatically tracks gifts and givers. Users can also set up a registry and scan items directly from mobile devices.

As retailers race to make their gift registry services more interactive, Belk is launching a new wedding registry app.

In addition to in-store kiosks, registrants can now set up a registry, manage their registry and scan items using their smartphones.

The app features tips on what to register for and a registry checklist to make sure no items are missed. Any time a registrant is in the store and sees a new item they would like to add, they can scan from their smart phone to immediately add the item to their registry.

Charlotte, N.C. – Investments in higher margins and topline growth helped boost net income at Belk Inc. 13% to $21.8 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2015 from $19.3 million in the same period a year earlier. Net sales were $985 million, up 3% from $955.1 million.

Same-store sales rose 3.3%. The strongest merchandise categories were men’s and women’s apparel, especially activewear, across all areas. The company’s online sales increased 37%, positively affecting same-store sales by 2.1%.

New York -- Belk Inc., the largest family owned and operated department store chain in the United States, is exploring strategic alternatives. The news was first reported by Reuters on Thursday, and was confirmed later in the day by the retailer in a statement issued to media outlets.
 

Belk Inc. has hired Goldman Sachs to explore its strategic options, including the possibility of a sale that could value the family owned department store chain at as much as $4 billion, Reuters reports.

In response to the Reuters report, Belk issued a response saying that it had hired Goldman Sachs to help it explore all options for its future. Belk added that it expects to conclude its analysis in the next several months.

Belk operates about 300 stores in 16 Southern states.

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.

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.

Charlotte, N.C. – Nothing succeeds like success, and 300-plus-store department store chain Belk Inc. took a previously successful TV holiday campaign and modernized it for the omnichannel era, with impressive results.

Charlotte, N.C. - Belk Inc. has named Scott Kessler as CIO, effective immediately. Kessler, who will report to John R. Belk, president and COO, has served as Belk’s senior VP of omnichannel solutions delivery since March 2014.
 
Prior to that role, Kessler has more than 20 years of IT experience, nearly 10 years of which was with GSI Commerce Solutions where he was senior VP of products technology.

Scott Kessler has been named chief information officer at Belk less than a year after joining the regional department store operator as its top omnichannel executive.   Kessler, who will report to John R. Belk, president and chief operating officer, has served as Belk’s senior vice president of omnichannel solutions delivery since March of 2014.