Discount Store

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. reported Wednesday that profit for the second quarter remained essentially flat at $704 million.

Sales advanced 3.5% to $16.45 million, boosted by a 3.1% same-store sales rise in the quarter but missed Wall Street’s expected $16.75 million in revenue.

Moorestown, N.J. -- Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust said that Crazy 8 will open its Moorestown Mall property, located in Moorestown, N.J.

The 2,505-sq.-ft. store is slated to open this fall in the 1 million-sq.-ft. enclosed regional mall anchored by Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, Sears and Boscov’s.
 

GLENWILLOW, Ohio — Fashion retailer Dots has named former Walmart SVP, Lisa Rhodes as its new CEO.
  
Rhodes, who led Walmart's U.S. apparel merchandising division, has been charged with leading Dots’ march toward 1,000 stores.
   
Prior to her role at Walmart, Rhodes was EVP and chief merchandising officer for Maurice’s.
  

Los Angeles -- A PriceGrabber back-to-school survey released on Wednesday found that 48% of consumers believe retailers are offering better back-to-school shopping promotions this year.

According to the survey, 88% of consumers chose 'sales' as the top retailer promotion that will entice them to make a back-to-school purchase this year. Forty-nine percent of shoppers cited coupons; 44% noted that "free items with purchase" would persuade them to buy; and 34% selected sales available online only.

Willow Grove, Pa. -- Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust said that Soma Intimates will open a 2,369-sq.-ft. store this fall at Will Grove Park, located in Willow Grove, Pa.

Accessory boutique Laila Rowe will also open this fall, in a 1,181-sq.-ft. space.

Willow Grove Park is a three-level, 1.2 million-sq.-ft. regional shopping mall anchored by Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Sears and Nordstrom Rack.
 

LOS ANGELES — Nearly half of consumers polled in the latest PriceGrabber survey respondents said that retailers are serving up better back-to-school promotions this year, compared with 2011.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — TJX reported that net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 increased 9% to $5.9 billion and consolidated comparable-store sales increased 7%. Net income for the second quarter was $421 million and diluted earnings per share were 56 cents, a 24% increase over 45 cents per share last year.

Framingham, Mass. -- TJX Cos. reported Tuesday that net income for the quarter ended July 28 soared 20.9% to $421.1 million, up from $348.3 million and marking the discounter’s third consecutive quarter of rising profits.

Revenues beat projections by climbing 8.7% to $5.95 billion.

The owner of the Marshalls and T.J. Maxx chains raised its full-year profit forecast.