Discount Store

Houston — Francesca’s Holdings Corp. on Tuesday reported a 21% drop in profit during the first quarter of fiscal 2014, to $8.6 million from $10.9 million.  Harsh winter weather and higher expenses related to its boutique business contributed to the decline in net income. The company also reduced its annual outlook.

Francesca’s plans to open 85 new stores during fiscal 2014, including 16 in the second quarter.

Burlington Stores president and CEO Tom Kingsbury has the operator of 523 stores headed in the right direction with an off-price model that is delivering results and poised for expansion.

New York — Joel Anderson, president and chief executive officer of Walmart.com., has left  the online giant to assume the role of president at Five Below, which targets pre-teens and teens with trendy, extreme-value merchandise priced at $5 and below. Walmart has appointed Fernando Madeira, CEO of Walmart.com's Latin America unit, as the new head of Walmart.com. He will relocate from Sao Paulo, Brazil, to San Bruno, California, where Wal-Mart’s global e-commerce operation is based.
 

Burlington, N.J. — Burlington Stores Inc. had an all-around strong first quarter of fiscal 2014 that included a better-than-expected net income of %11.77 million, up from a net loss of $5.56 million in year-ago period. The retailer expects to open 25 net new stores during the fiscal year, including the opening of one new store and closing of one existing store in the second quarter.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. — Dollar General plans to expand its nationwide presence into three new states within the next year, increasing the company’s presence to 43 states across the country. The discount retailer will begin construction on stores in Maine and Rhode Island in fall 2014, with plans to expand into Oregon in early 2015.

Activist investor Carl Icahn on Friday reported a 9.4% stake in Family Dollar, making him the company’s largest shareholder and prompting concerns of a hostile takeover.
 
Family Dollar has responded by adopting a one-year shareholder rights plan with a 10% trigger that would prevent any investor from gaining a controlling interest of the company without board approval.
 

Matthews, N.C. — Family Dollar Stores has adopted a one-year shareholder rights plan to prevent investors from gaining sizable control of the company. The move follows the disclosure on Friday that activist investor Carl Icahn has amassed a 9.39% stake in the retailer over the past two months, making him its largest shareholder.

In the filing on Friday, Icahn said he plans to push Family Dollar management to explore strategic changes, and that he might also seek board seats.

New York — Wal-Mart Stores named  Greg Penner, 44, to the new role of vice chairman, a move that positions him to be a successor to chairman Rob Walton. Penner, 44, is Walton’s son-in-law and has served on the board since 2008. The appointment was announced Friday morning at the company's shareholders' meeting.

The move strengthens the Walton family’s control of the board. Walton, 69, is the son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton.