Department Store

Seattle – Nordstrom Inc. missed Wall Street expectations with declining profit in the first quarter of fiscal 2015, although the department store retailer beat expectations for sales, aided by impressive e-commerce results.

Net earnings were $128 million, down 8% from $140 million the same quarter the prior year. The impact of the Trunk Club acquisition in August 2014 and ongoing entry into Canada reduced earnings.

New York -- Mother’s Day is turning into a goldmine for online retailers. Overall U.S. retail online sales for the week leading up to Mother's Day rose more than 15% compared to the same period last year, according to IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark. Mobile traffic accounted for 46.3% all online traffic, up more than 21% compared to last year. Mobile sales saw strong growth, up more than 43%, reaching over 24.4% of all online sales.

Simon Property Group will expand several shopping centers in the United States, with plans to invest approximately $1 billion annually in renovations.

Target is shedding an obscure division that many people didn’t even know existed, as CEO Brian Cornell continues with his transformation of the company.

The company announced it will sell Target Commercial Interiors (TCI), a subsidiary that provides office furnishings and related services for business and commercial clients.

Minneapolis-based Omni Workspace Company, more commonly known as A&M Business Interior Services, will acquire TCI and operate it as a wholly owned subsidiary. TCI will be renamed following the completion of the acquisition.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. is selling its Target Commercial Interiors (TCI) subsidiary, which provides office furnishings and related services for business and commercial clients, to Minneapolis-based Omni Workspace Company, commonly known as A&M Business Interior Services. A&M will operate TCI, which will be renamed on the completion of the acquisition, as a wholly owned subsidiary.

Kohl’s couldn't combat weak consumer spending in the first quarter despite launching a loyalty program and new advertising initiatives.

Kevin Mansell, Kohl's chairman, chief executive officer and president, said: "Sales were modestly below our original expectations for the quarter, but accelerated in the March/April combined period after a weak February. We are very pleased with our earnings results, with a more balanced promotional calendar driving merchandise margin combined with strong expense control."

New York – Fast-fashion retailer H&M estimates that it will continue to expand annually at a rate of 10% to 15%, which would take the U.S. store count to more than 400 and the total store count to almost 4,000 stores by the end of the year.

During 2015, the Swedish retailer has thus far announced it will open 61 stores, including the Herald Square flagship in New York City, which will become the largest H&M in the world when it opens on May 20.

Strong growth in its e-commerce divisions couldn't lift profits at Nordstrom Inc., which reported a drop in earnings for the first quarter. 

For the period ended May 2, Nordstrom reported a profit of $128 million, or 66 cents a share, down from $140 million, or 72 cents a share, a year earlier. The retailer also reported that Nordstrom.com and Nordstromrack.com had a combined 70% increase in sales in the first quarter.