Discount Store

Goodlettsville, Tenn. – Dollar General reported record net income and sales for the second quarter of this year. In addition, same-store sales growth beat analyst estimates by almost a full percentage point.

Net income increased by 15% to $245 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2013, compared to net income of $214 million in the second quarter of the prior fiscal year. Net sales increased 11.3% to $4.39 billion, compared to $3.95 billion in the second quarter of the previous year. Analysts had expected net sales of $4.36 billion.

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Dollar General reported record sales, operating profit and net income for its second quarter ended Aug. 2, driven, in part, by the company’s newly introduced tobacco products and strong sales of perishables and candy and snacks.

The company’s net income increased 15% to $245 million in the quarter, from $214 million in the year-ago quarter, and earnings per diluted share of $0.75 in the quarter increased 17% over EPS of $0.64 in the year-ago quarter. 

New York -- A controversial bill requiring Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and other large retailers to pay their employees a "living wage" of at least $12.50 an hour has been sent to District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray.   
    
The mayor has 10 business days, starting Tuesday, to either sign or veto the bill, which was passed by the D.C. Council at the beginning of July.

Big Lots overcame a 2.2% same store sales decline at its U.S. stores to post better than expected second quarter earnings, but indicated full year profits could be below the prior year.

New York -- Hedge fund manager Richard Perry has upped his already substantial share in J.C. Penney Co. Perry’s Perry Capitol LLC now ranks as Penney's second-largest investor after George Soros.
    
It was disclosed on Friday that Perry bought an additional three million shares of Penney in a secondary offering for $12.90 a share, and that it now owns 8.62% of the company, up from its previous 7.3% stake.
      

Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores saw net income for the second quarter drop to $9.1 million from $21.1 million a year earlier, due, in part, to expenses associated with its spinoff from Sears Holdings Corp, according to the company.

These results come a little more than a week after Sears Holdings saw revenues decrease to $8.9 billion for the quarter from $9.5 billion for the year-ago quarter. Fewer Kmart and Sears full-line stores accounted for approximately $210 million of that decline.

Columbus — Designer Shoe Warehouse — DSW — has announced the opening of three new stores across the country.

The locations are:

• Colerain Ave. in Cincinnati, Ohio, opens Sept. 5
• Veteran Parkway, Springfield, Ill., opens Sept. 5
• Bowles Ave. in Littleton, Colo., opens Sept. 5

New York -- DSW plans to test a smaller-store format that will run about 10,000 sq. ft., down from its average 22,000-sq.-ft. model.

DSW did not disclose where the tests would be. But CEO Mike McDonald told securities analysts that, if successful, the small-format stores “will create a new growth vehicle for DSW, which could significantly expand our store count potential,” Columbus Biz Insider reported.

DSW is on track to open 30 stores in 2013.