Retail

Supervalu reported net earnings of $31 million during the third quarter of fiscal 2014, almost double the net earnings of $16 million reported in the same quarter of the prior fiscal year. This dramatic increase came even as net sales slipped 1% to $4.1 billion from $4.5 billion.

Issaquah, Wash. - Costco Wholesale Club’s same-store sales rose 3% in December, beating analysts' estimates of a 1.8% gain. The metric climbed 5% in the U.S. and inched up 1% overseas for the five weeks ended Jan. 5.

Total monthly revenue increased 6% to $11.53 billion.

For the 18-week period, same-store sales were up 3%. In the U.S. the metric rose 4% and 1% internationally.

Northbrook, Ill. — Pine Tree Commercial Realty LLC has appointed Graham Grochocinski to serve as the firm’s director of omni-channel marketing and social media.

Grochocinski will handle Pine Tree’s omni-channel retail coordination as well as the firm’s social and digital communications.

Grochocinski comes to Pine Tree from USAgain, an award-winning recycling company, where he managed the integrated marketing efforts for lead generation and branding.

The search is on for a new president and COO at Family Dollar following the resignation of Michael Bloom amid deteriorating financial results and a 3% same store sales decline in December.

Phoenix – Manthan Systems is introducing its ARC Pricing Optimization application. ARC Pricing Optimization offers capabilities designed specifically for the retail environment and is a part of the company’s latest release of its ARC Merchandise Analytic application, MA6.4
Specific capabilities include:

Auto Recommendation: Identify products at group or individual store level that are candidates for price changes based on performance objectives and pricing strategies.

Amazon announced a record-setting year for Marketplace Sellers, which sold more than a billion units worldwide, cumulatively worth tens of billions of dollars, in 2013.

Philadelphia -- Net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2014 at Destination Maternity Corporation decreased 0.3% to $134.8 million from $135.3 million reported for the first quarter of fiscal 2013. Same-store sales slightly increased 0.7%.

Regional discount retailer Fred’s is making some big changes to its merchandising and operations groups to begin 2014 and has retained several firms to review strategic opportunities.