eCommerce

Irvine, Calif. — Tilly’s Inc. missed Wall Street expectations by falling profit and increasing revenue in a mixed second quarter of fiscal 2015. Net income fell 54%, from $1.3 million to $600,000, with a tax settlement hindering profitability.

Total net sales fared better, rising 6%, from $123 million to $130 million. Same-store sales — including e-commerce — climbed 0.5%.

Despite missing Wall Street forecasts and declining profit, President and CEO Daniel Griesmer said he was pleased with results for the quarter.

New York — Bealls Inc. has taken the wraps off its new store banner targeted at millennials.

The department store retailer debuted Bunulu at Coconut Point Mall in Estero, Fla. Two additional locations at the St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville, Fla. and The Garden Mall in Palm Beach, Fla. are due to open by the end of this year.

Burlington, N.J. — Burlington Stores Inc. is in the black.

The company swung to a net income of $10.9 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2015 from a net loss of $6.47 million the same quarter of last year. Decreases in stock option and interest expenses, as well as some impairment charges, helped bring Burlington to profitability.

Net sales rose 10% to $1.14 billion from $1.04 billion, while same-store sales grew 5.6%.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. — Dollar General posted better-than-expected earnings for the second quarter, but came up short on sales, even amid strong demand for tobacco products and other consumables.

The discounter reiterated plans to open approximately 730 stores in 2015, and relocate or remodel 875 units. To date, the company is on track with its pipeline development to accelerate new store openings to 7% square footage growth in 2016.

The holiday force has awakened earlier than ever at Walmart with the Aug. 28 launch of a major initiative called Toy Week.

Walmart has released its top toy list of 25 products and announced details of a layaway program that is less restrictive than prior years. The program begins Aug. 28, two weeks earlier than last years, and those participating will find the price point of eligible items has been reduced to $10 with a minimum basket size of $50, there is no account opening fee and only a 10% down payment is required.

As Amazon.com deals with the fallout from a New York Times article over working conditions, another media outlet reports the retailer is scaling back its consumer device division and laying off dozens of employees in its hardware development center.

The division, called Lab126, last year released a flurry of 10 devices, including a television set-top box, the Echo and a wand for scanning bar codes at home, according to the Wall Street Journal.

In a first, West Elm, a Williams-Sonoma subsidiary, will make its products available outside of the brand’s own stores and website.

Retailers that stock the world’s top drugstore brands may be in for some competition from Pharmabox, which plans to install its first automated kiosk in a mall in the Miami area.

New York – L.L. Bean continues to win top marks in overall customer service.

According to the latest quarterly Stella Service benchmarks, perennial high finisher L.L. Bean took top customer service honors in second quarter 2015. Following L.L. Bean were Mr. Porter, Shopbop, David Yuman and Net-a-Porter.

New York – In a first, West Elm, a Williams-Sonoma subsidiary, will make its products available outside of the brand’s own stores and website.

The Williams-Sonoma subsidiary said it has entered into a partnership with U.K. department store retailer John Lewis to open an in-store shop in the newly renovated John Lewis flagship on Oxford Street in London. The shop will open on Sept. 3, following the launch of a branded West Elm shop online at Johnlewis.com.