Discount Store

Walmart U.S. just reported its fourth consecutive quarter of positive same store sales growth. Now comes the hard part.

The current third quarter period marks the first time in three years that Walmart U.S. is up against a prior year increase in same store sales. As Walmart U.S. president and CEO Bill Simon reminded those listening to the company’s conference call last week, Walmart had a 1.3% comp increase in the third quarter of 2011 and this year he is expecting an increase in the range of 1% to 3%.

The nation’s leading closeout retailer offered a bleak outlook for the remainder of the year following worse than expected second quarter results and announced the departure of its top merchant.

Topeka, Kan. -- Collective Brands stockholders voted at a special meeting on Tuesday to approve the sale of the company for about $1.32 billion.

Collective, which owns the Payless and Stride Rite shoe store banners, had announced in May that it accepted a purchase offer from a group that includes Wolverine Worldwide Inc., Blum Capital Partners and Golden Gate Capital.

DALLAS — Tuesday Morning's net loss widened to $2 million, or 5 cents per diluted shared for its fourth quarter, from $1.4 million, or 3 cents per diluted share for the same period last year.

Dallas -- Tuesday Morning Corp. said Monday that it lost $2 million in the quarter ended June 30, widened from a loss of $1.4 million in the same period last year. The retailer cited costs associated with terminating its CEO for the weakened showing.

Sales were nearly flat at $196.4 million, and same-store sales inched up a slight 0.2%. For the full year, the company recorded net income of $3.9 million, compared with $9.6 million in the prior year. Sales slipped 1% to $812.8 million.

New York -- Casual Male is shifting its focus to its Destination XL (DXL) format. By the end of 2015, the company expects to have closed all 400 Casual Male stores and have 225 to 250 DXL units, according to Women’s Wear Daily.

The DXL stores feature a wide array of merchandise, including both private label and name brands, and price points that range from the lower-end to the more upscale. By the end of 2012, the company expects to have 51 DXL stores in operation, the report said.

Minneapolis -- Supervalu announced that Robert Bly will join the company as president of Shoppers Food and Pharmacy, a 56-store chain in the Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., market.

Bly, 49, most recently served as VP of Kmart and Sears divisions for the Sears Holdings Co. He is expected to begin his new role on Aug. 22 and will report to Chuck Elias, senior VP retail operations.

Bly replaces Tim Lowe, who recently accepted a new leadership role in Supervalu's merchandising organization.
 

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Ross Stores Inc. reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended July 28 jumped 23% to $182 million, from $148.3 million in the year-ago period. Results met Wall Street expectations, but the company issued profit predictions for the current quarter and full year that were below average forecasts. Same-store sales rose 7% in the quarter.