Convenience Stores

Strong sales of tobacco products, candy and snacks helped drive Dollar General's same-store sales up nearly 4% in the first quarter as the company celebrates its 12,000th store opening this month.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. – Dollar General Corp. beat Wall Street expectations for profit but missed on sales in the first quarter of fiscal 2015. Net income totaled $253 million, up 14% from $222 million the same period the prior year.

Higher initial inventory markups, improved inventory shrink rate and lower transportation costs helped boost net income. Net sales increased 9% to $4.92 billion, compared to $4.52 billion. Same-store sales increased 3.7%, resulting from increases in both customer traffic and average transaction amount.

The rebound in the nation’s economy is boosting retail sales and spurring an uptick in the number of retailers seeking to expand their presence in existing markets or grow into new trade areas. However, the boom does have a downside for those tenants, as most are finding out.

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. -- Dollar General on Saturday hit another milestone, opening its 12,000th store in the small town of Juliette, Georgia.
 

Walmart is furthering its $100 million commitment to industry workforce development with a big grant to the NRF Foundation.

An $800,000 grant from Walmart to the NRF Foundation will work with employers to determine the competencies needed in the industry and the potential for a new industry-validated credentialing program to help store and distribution center employees advance their careers.

Chicago -- Retailers looking for opportunities in emerging markets should look East, particularly to China, which ranks as the top country in A.T. Kearney’s annual Global Retail Development Index (GRDI). China, which returns to number one in the GRDI rankings for the first time since 2010, is expected to surpass the United States as the world's largest retail market by 2018.

As Texas deals with the aftermath of tragic flooding, Walmart is trying to make a difference in the state where it has its largest presence.

The Walmart Foundation has announced donations totaling $500,000 to organizations helping with relief efforts for those affected by the floods in Texas and Oklahoma.