Department Store

Atlanta -- Dollar year-over-year volume growth during the month of March 2014 remained positive at 2.1%, but slipped from February’s growth of 2.4%, according to the First Data Corp. SpendTrend report. The report, which analyzes same-store point-of-sale data by credit, signature debit, PIN debit, EBT, closed-loop prepaid cards and checks from nearly four million U.S.

Stein Mart said that its March sales were unfavorably impacted by the shift of pre-Easter selling from March to April this year, as well as cooler-than-normal temperatures in many parts of the country early in the month.

Stein Mart’s total sales for the five-week period ended April 5 were $136.3 million, compared to total sales of $135.4 million for the prior-year period. Comparable store sales increased 0.9%.

Philadelphia – Destination Maternity Corp. reported declining net and same-store sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2014, compared to the same period a year earlier. Net sales decreased 6.5% to $126.1 million from $134.9 million, while same-store sales dropped 5.1%.

Destination Maternity said the decline in net sales resulted primarily from the decrease in comparable sales and decreased sales related to the company's continued efforts to close underperforming stores.

New York -- March was a so-so month for retailers, whose performance was impacted by unspring-like, cold temperatures in many parts of the country and a late Easter. (Easter falls on April 20 this year as opposed to March 31 last year.)

The eight retailers tracked by Thomson Reuters posted a 2.2% increase in March same-store sales, better than the expected 1.4% increase.

New York – Ann Inc. has signed a long-term renewal agreement with Alliance Data Systems Corp. to continue providing private label and co-branded credit card services. Alliance Data will continue to deliver marketing-driven private label and co-branded credit card programs that recognize and reward Ann Taylor and Loft card members.

Ann Taylor and Loft brands are marketed in approximately 1,025 stores across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico through its Ann Taylor, Loft, Ann Taylor Factory and Loft Outlet stores, as well as globally online.

Redlands, Calif. — Majestic Realty Co. has announced that construction has begun on the Mountain Grove at Citrus Plaza shopping center. Located adjacent to Citrus Plaza in the Inland Empire at the intersection of the I-210 and I-10 freeways, Mountain Grove plans to open in summer 2015.

The 468,000-sq.-ft Phase I development is the sibling project to Citrus Plaza. It will add another 670,000-sq. ft. of retail, dining and entertainment.

Sales and profits were as bad as Bed Bath & Beyond initially feared due to extensive weather related store closures during the company's fourth quarter ended March 1.

The company said sales during its 13 week fourth quarter declined 5.8% to $3.2 billion while same store sales advanced 1.7%. Profits during the 13 week period declined to $333 million, or $1.60 a share, compared to the 14 week period the prior year when profits totaled $374 million, or $1.68 per share.

New Albany, Ohio -- Abercrombie & Fitch Co. announced that Joanne C. Crevoiserat has been named executive VP and CFO of the company, a position she is expected to take up in May, 2014.