Department Store

The Cato Corp. swung to a loss in the second quarter amid continuing negative sales trends.    The apparel retailer reported a net loss of $0.9 million, or a loss of $0.03 per diluted share, for the quarter ended July 29, compared to net income of $15.9 million, or $.57 per diluted share, for the year ago period.   Sales for the second quarter fell 13% to $205.0 million, down from $236.7 million last year. Same-store sales plunged 14%.   

A discount giant is using its newest acquisitions to connect with its millennial shoppers.   During an earnings call, Walmart revealed that it’s trendy, upscale Bonobos or ModCloth brands will soon be sold via jet.com. This move highlights how Walmart plans to leverage its Jet division to target the millennial shopper, according to Business Insider.  

CBL is getting ready to open its 28th Dick’s Sporting Goods store, this one at Richland Mall in Waco, Texas.   “This new store will drive significant traffic to the center and illustrates our ongoing commitment to enhancing the tenant mix at the property,” said CBL CEO Stephen Lebovitz.   Other new arrivals at Richland include H&M, PINK, and White Barn. Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret recently completed remodels. Dick’s is set to open in spring 2018.

A social media giant and an online retail giant are the most loved brands in the world.    Facebook took the top spot, followed by Amazon, in NetBase's third annual "Top 100 Global Brand Love List." Rounding out the top five were eBay, Apple, and Snap.   

While Wall Street cheers Urban Outfitters for not doing quite so badly as forecast, the reality is that this is a lousy set of results. Not only are the numbers sequentially worse than a pretty dire first quarter, but they also show that many of the initiatives put into play remain a long way from delivering.  

Saks Fifth Avenue is debuting a new salon concept with a futuristic edge.   

Shoppers turned out in force in July, driving retail sales to their largest gain since December 2016.   Retail sales in July increased by 0.6% June on a seasonally adjusted basis, triple the revised 0.2% growth seen in June, according to the National Retail Federation. Sales have increased by 3.5% year-over-year. (The NRF numbers exclude automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants.)  

Coach ends its fiscal with a set of strong results that signify the turnaround program is making excellent progress. Although sales shrunk in both North America and Europe, this is because this quarter was a week shorter than the same period last year. When this is stripped out, total Coach brand sales rose by 5%, or by 7% on a constant currency basis.