Walmart

It’s no wonder Macy’s is looking to allocate part of its $1 billion capital expenditure budget into opening off-price stores when you look at the financial results TJX Co. reported for the fourth quarter.

The company reported an 11% increase in profit for the quarter ended Jan. 31. Net sales for the fourth quarter were $8.3 billion, a 6% increase over last year. Same store sales increased 4% over last year’s 3% increase. Net income was $648 million and diluted earnings per share were $.93, a 15% increase over last year’s $.81 per share.

Framingham, Mass. -- The TJX Cos. on Wednesday reported an 11% rise in fourth quarter profit and said it would raise employee pay above the minimum wage.  It also announced plans to expand into two more global markets.

On a more downbeat note, the off-price giant said it expected a strong dollar to reduce its profit by 5% and the new wage hikes to lower earnings by 4% the year ending Jan. 30, 2016.

New York -- Brixmor Property Group announced that in 2014, it completed lighting upgrade projects at 39 shopping centers, for an estimated combined energy reduction of 68%, or 6,100,000 kilowatt hours annually. That is equivalent to the annual carbon emissions from electricity used in 585 homes or the greenhouse gas emissions from more than 10 million passenger vehicle miles.

Essen, Germany – Global discount supermarket retailer Aldi Inc. is thinking big when it comes to Texas. According to the Dallas Morning News, Aldi sees potential for as many as 450 stores in the Lone Star State.

This would be part of a larger expansion program, announced in November, that would grow Aldi’s total U.S. store count by 650 units to about 2,000 by 2018. Southern California is another major growth target for the chain.

Minneapolis – While some retailers have been raising their spending threshold for free shipping in the past year or so, Target Corp. is taking the opposite approach. Target now offers free shipping for orders of $25 or more. The retailer said the price cut follows an enthusiastic response to its free-shipping offer during the holiday shopping season.

That is half the $50 minimum Target previously required for free shipping. The free rate applies to standard shipments that take three to five business days to arrive.

Target is raising the stakes in the free online shipping game by undercutting not only Walmart but now also Amazon.com.

Target announced it has lowered the threshold for free shipping on online orders to $25, making it among the most competitive among major retailers. Its previous free-shipping minimum was $50, which placed it in the higher end of the spectrum.

Bentonville, Ark. – In a reversal of corporate policy that did not offer workers paid sick leave until their second day of absence, Wal-Mart Store Inc. is reportedly now allowing employees to collect sick pay on their first day of not reporting to work due to illness. According to the Wall Street Journal, the change in policy is part of a larger effort to improve employee morale.

Sears Holdings continues to lose money –- lots of it –- and same store sales declined again during the holidays, but the severity of the company’s losses have diminished, which has Chairman and CEO Edward Lampert believing further improvement is coming as the company transforms to what he calls “a leading integrated membership-focused company.”