Retail

Barnes & Noble faces all the same headwinds as other retailers this holiday season, but its challenges are compounded by the fact that it continues to derive the majority of its revenues from declining sales of physical books.

The operator of 673 book stores said it expects holiday same store sales to decline in the high single digits following a 4.9% comp decrease during the second quarter ended October 26.
Total Barnes & Noble sales declined 8% to $1.7 billion with each of the company’s three segments reporting reduced sales.

Plano, Texas – Myron Ullman, CEO of embattled department store chain J.C. Penney, has reportedly bought $1 million of company stock. According to the Associated Press, Ullman purchased 112,000 shares at $8.95 apiece on or around Nov. 22.

The Children's Place president and CEO Jane Elfers focused on the positive following decreases in net and comparable-store sales for the third quarter, despite the company’s reportedly strong performance during the back-to-school period.

Armonk, N.Y. – Online sales on Monday, Nov. 26 were up nearly 12% from the equivalent Monday a year earlier. Data from the IBM Digital Analytics Holiday Benchmark shows that mobile traffic accounted for nearly 32% of all online traffic, up 42% compared to the same period last year.   

New York – Barnes & Noble employed cost-cutting measures that shifted net loss to net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2014 even as net sales took a tumble. Net income of $13.2 million compared to a roughly $502 million net loss reported in the second quarter of fiscal 2013.

Antonio Urcelay has replaced Gerald Storch as chairman of Toys “R” Us and the retailer also named Richard Markee to its board.

Los Angeles -- Online high-end candy retailer Sugarfina has opened its first-ever store, a 1,400-sq.-ft. boutique in Los Angeles. The brand is known for its signature turquoise Bento Boxes, a luxurious candy gift box, and such “cocktail” candies as Champagne Gummy Bears, Cuba Libre (spiced rum and coke gummies) and Peach Bellini Gummies.

New York — European Wax Center has signed a lease for 1,650 sq. ft. of ground floor retail space at 95 Chambers Street/75 Reade Street between Broadway and Church in Tribeca, according to Winick Realty Group, the broker representing both the retailer and the landlord, Ascend Group, in the transaction.  

Winick also represented Reade Street Prep in a lease transaction for a 3,600-sq.-ft. expansion space on the 75 Reade Street side of the building.