Discount Store

Dubuque, Iowa -- Youngstown, Ohio-based Cafaro Co. announced that Dubuque, Iowa, will get its first Ulta store, as the cosmetics retailer is about to break ground on a 10,000-sq.-ft. store at Kennedy Mall.

The new store is slated to open in the second half of 2012.
Kennedy Mall is a 700,000-sq.-ft. mall featuring Younkers, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Sears, J.C. Penney and Best Buy. It is owned and managed in association with Cafaro affiliated companies.
 

ABILENE, Kan. — Broad-line retailer Duckwall-ALCO Stores increased sales and returned to profit in the third-quarter as the company continued to experience top-line growth across multiple categories. The company reported that net sales for the third quarter of fiscal 2012 increased 3.6% to $109.8 million, compared with the third quarter of fiscal 2011. Same-store sales, excluding fuel center sales, increased 2.7%. 

New York City -- Brixmor Property Group announced two retailers will join Arapahoe Crossings, located Aurora, Colo., a suburb of Denver.  

Omaha-based department store retailer Gordmans is slated to open during fall 2012 with a 55,000-sq.-ft. store.  

In early 2012, Chuck and Don’s Pet Food Outlet will open a 7,000-sq.-ft. store adjacent to King Soopers grocery store.  

Abilene, Kan. -- Duckwall-ALCO Stores reported Friday that it recorded a profit of $0.1 million in the quarter ended Oct. 30, compared with a loss of $2.1 million in the year-ago period.

Sales increased 3.6% to $109.8 million, and same-store sales excluding fuel centers increased 2.7%. 

MINNEAPOLIS — While its impossible to compare Walmart's monthly performance with Target's, as Walmart no longer provides monthly sales, it can be assumed that Target's less-than-impressive comps increase was affected by stiff Black Friday competition.

Suffern, N.Y. -- Ascena Retail Group said Thursday it has appointed Jeff Gerstel as president of Dressbarn, and named George Goldfarb as president of its Maurices brand, both effective immediately.

The new executives will report to David Jaffe, president and CEO of Ascena Retail Group.

Gerstel joined Dressbarn in 2006 as senior VP operations and most recently served as executive VP and COO.

Goldfarb joined Maurices in 1985, was named CFO in 2003, and most recently was its executive VP and COO.

Walmart faces increased competition from dollar stores, as their value proposition still resonates with cash-strapped consumers. Dollar General, for example reported that net income for its third quarter was $171 million, 50 cents per diluted share, compared with net income of $128 million, or diluted EPS of 37 cents, in the third of fiscal 2010. The company reported that same-store sales increased 6.3% for the quarter.

Optimism, skepticism, confidence and concern are among the wide range of emotions shared by Walmart trading partners who participated in the Second Annual Supplier Survey conducted by Connecting Northwest Arkansas.