FINANCE

Restoration Hardware reported better-than-expected earnings and sales for the third quarter, but the upscale home furnishings retailer cut its full-year outlook amid slow sales of its holiday collection.    The company also said that its name will change in January to RH, which is the same as its stock ticker.   Restoration Hardware reported net income of $2.5 million. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, were 19 cents per share.  

Fred’s acknowledged it had a tough fiscal third quarter, but the company is making many changes and looking forward to a brighter future.      The first action Fred’s will take will be closing 40 underperforming stores in the first half of 2017, which  provides an immediate benefit to earnings of more $4 million.  

The nation’s largest maternity clothing retailer failed to meet sales and earnings expectations in the third quarter amid changes designed to focus on its core operations.     Destination Maternity reported a net loss of $1.5 million in its fiscal third quarter.   On a per-share basis, the company said it had a loss of 11 cents. Losses, adjusted for non-recurring costs, were 9 cents per share.   

Sears Holdings Corp.’ woes mounted in the third quarter, as the struggling retailer reported its 20th consecutive quarterly loss and another drop in same-store sales.        Although Sears CEO Eddie Lampert said Sears is “fully committed to restoring profitability,” the retailer’s disastrous quarterly performance caused some industry experts to say Sears’ demise is now a matter of when, not if.  

(Ed. note: Neil Saunders, CEO of Conlumino, comments on Sears Holdings’ third-quarter results.)   In the movie Titanic there is a line where, realizing chaos is about to en-sue, one character helpfully notes “it’s starting to fall apart; we don’t have much time”. Such a sentiment could well be applied to Sears. The analogy with Titanic is also apt; not least because while Sears was once a titan of US retail, it now looks set to sink.  

Costco Wholesale Corp. a better-than-expected quarterly profit, helped partially by lower fees to credit card partner Visa.   Costco, which completed its switch to Visa from American Express during the fourth quarter, said net income rose to $545 million, or $1.24 per share, in the first quarter, ended Nov. 20, from $480 million, or $1.09 per share, in the year-ago period. (The retailer’s profit in the latest quarter included a $51 million gain from a legal settlement.)  

Consumers’ demand for stylish workout wear no shows on slowing down.        Lululemon Athletica Inc.’s sales rose 13% to $544.4 million, surpassing Wall Street estimates.   Total comparable sales, which includes comparable store sales and direct to consumer, increased by 7%. Same-store sales rose 4%.      Profit in the quarter was 47 cents a share, excluding some items. Analysts estimated 43 cents on average.    

Starbucks Corp. unveiled an ambitious five-year strategy that calls for major expansion, includes two new store formats, including freestanding bakeries.      The coffee giant said it plans to plans to open approximately 12,000 new stores globally by 2021, including 5,000 cafes in China. The new round of expansion would bring Starbucks’s total store portfolio to approximately 37,000 locations.