Direct To Consumer (DTC)

New York -- Party City isn’t celebrating its second quarter.  But it remains on track to open 30 new stores for 2015 and complete 50-60 remodels and relocations.

The party supply retailer reported a loss for its second quarter traffic amid light traffic. But it as the retailer reported a loss.

In the second quarter ended June 30, Party posted a loss of $23 million, or 20 cents a share, compared with a profit of $2.5 million a year earlier

Corte Madera, Calif. -- Teens with a hankering for pricey furniture and décor — and affluent parents — will now have a new place to shop.

RH (Restoration Hardware) is launching RH Teen, which will offer “tasteful, high quality” furniture, lighting, linens and décor for teens. Launching in late September, RH Teen will have a own dedicated 200-page catalog (or, in RH lingo, “source book”), website and dedicated retail space in the company’s next generation of stores.

Teens with a hankering for pricey furniture and décor — and affluent parents — will now have a new place to shop.

Seattle -- Finally some good news in the department store sector.

Nordstrom Inc. on Thursday reported better-than-expected fiscal second-quarter earnings and sales.

The retailer reported net profit of $211 million, or $1.09 a share, for the quarter ending Aug. 1, up from $183 million, or 95 cents a share, in the year-ago period.

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Off-price retailer Stein Mart continues to pursue the accelerated store growth strategy that it began in 2014.

The off-price retailer announced it will open nine stores this fall, and at least 12 new locations in 2016.

The news follows the company's recent release of first half 2015 total sales growth of 6.1% and comparable store-sales growth of 4.0%.

In a week in which many of the nation's major department stores reported disappointing financial results, Nordstrom showed once again how to drive sales growth.

The Washington-based retailer reported that total sales rose 9.2% from the same quarter in 2014, while same store sales rose 4.9%. The company posted a profit of $211 million, or $1.09 a share, compared with $183 million, or 95 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue, which includes revenue from its credit cards, rose 9% to $3.7 billion. 

New York -- Things are not getting any better at the struggling and cash-poor American Apparel. In fact, it looks like they are getting worse.

In a short form quarterly filing, the retailer said its net loss increased to $19.4 million in the second quarter from $16.2 million in the year-ago period while net sales fell 17% to $134 million. It estimated that, as of June 30, it had only $7 million in cash and $6 million left in its Capital One credit line. (American Apparel’s full quarterly filing will be delayed.)

Oakland, Calif. -- Cost Plus Worldwide Market is opening its first-ever Manhattan outpost — and also showing off a new format.

The value-priced home furnishings and lifestyle specialty retailer will open a store on Thursday, August 20, in the city’s Chelsea neighborhood. At 5,000-sq.-ft., it is Cost Plus’ first small-scale store.

New York -- Target Corp. is joining other retailers in the grocery delivery service.

The chain plans to begin testing a grocery-delivery service, reports the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal.

To read the story, click here.

Online home furnishings retailer Wayfair is losing less money than before and gaining new customers at a rapid pace.