FINANCE

Dire, dismal, terrible, horrendous, grim, appalling - over the past few years we've used up our stock of adjectives to describe Sears results.

The Kroger Co. has regained its momentum in one of the retail industry's most competitive segments.

Sears Holdings Corp. reduced its third quarter loss by $190 million helped by lower operating costs from its reduced store portfolio, but it saw no improvement on the revenue side as same-store sales plunged 15.3%.

In the wake of a wider loss than expected and a continuing sales slide in its second quarter, Barnes & Noble plans to a greater emphasis on what brought it the party in the first place: books.

The powerhouse that is Ulta Beauty delivered another strong quarter of earnings and revenue even as its same-store sales growth cooled.

Tiffany & Co. reported third-quarter profit and sales that beat Street estimates, as sales strength in its Americas and Asia-Pacific regions helped to offset weakness in Japan.

At Home reported its 15th consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth as its value-driven store-based home decor model shows no signs of losing momentum.

Women's apparel retailer Christopher & Banks swung to a loss in its third quarter and announced it may sell (and leaseback) its corporate headquarters.