Costco Wholesale Corp.

By Dave Weinberger, CBX

Have you read any 2015 retail trend forecasts lately? Let’s face it, many so-called trends for the year ahead — the need to focus on things like mobile payment, customization, foodservice, smaller formats or millennial shoppers, to name a few — are at this point just the cost of doing business.

Online warehouse club operator Green Polka Dot Box has a quirky name, but shoppers don’t seem to mind as the natural foods retailer’s December sales increased 65 percent.

"Based on early sales results, we anticipate that customer growth in this first month of the year will increase from the current level of approximately 4,200 to more than 6,000," said Rod Smith, CEO of the company. "And that we will see corresponding increases in monthly sales in January.”

Seattle -- Nordstrom plans to open a Nordstrom Rack at Ambassador Town Center in Lafayette, Louisiana.

The 25,000-sq.-ft. store is scheduled to open in spring 2016. The more than 425,000-sq.-ft. Ambassador Town Center is a joint development of Stirling Properties and CBL & Associates Properties.

San Antonio, Texas - CST Brands Inc and CrossAmerica Partners LP have agreed to jointly purchase 22 convenience stores in San Antonio and Austin, Texas from Landmark Industries, their third combined acquisition in less than three months. The 22 stores operate under the Timewise brand name and provide Shell-branded fuel.   

By Craig Johnson, Customer Growth Partners

Issaquah, Wash. – Costco Wholesale Corp. beat Wall Street expectations for net income and sales during the first quarter of fiscal 2015.  Net income totaled $496 million, up 17% from $425 million the same period a year earlier.   Lower opening expenses and higher interest income helped boost profits.   Total revenue grew 7% to $26.87 million from $25.02 million. Total same-store sales rose 5%.

The holiday season started strong at Costco where U.S. same store sales advanced 7 percent during the company’s first quarter ended Nov. 23.

Total company sales during the period increased 7 percent to nearly $26.3 billion from $24.5 billion. Membership income grew slightly slower, advancing 6 percent to $582 million. Same stores sales excluding the effects of the strengthening U.S. dollar and fuel price deflation were 7 percent and U.S. and international locations.

Optimized centers provide greater flexibility