Retail

A strong increase in shopper traffic at Costco during November translated to a 3% increase in same-store sales, excluding gas, at U.S. locations during the four-week November reporting period which ended December 1.

Costco didn’t comment specifically on Thanksgiving weekend sales during a recorded call to recap results, but the company did say that traffic increased a little more than 4% while average transaction sizes were down slightly. Costco and its direct competitors Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale Club were closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Canadian dollar-store operator Dollarama reported an increase in sales and an improvement in net earnings for the third quarter ended Nov. 3. The quarter was characterized by continued growth in the store network and solid comparable store sales growth.

Sales for the quarter increased by 14.2% to $522.9 million from $458 million in the year-ago period. The increase was driven, in part, by the growth in the number of stores in the past 12 months, from 761 stores on Oct. 28, 2012 to 847 stores on Nov. 3, 2013.

Jos. A. Bank slightly increased its net income to $13.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2013 from $13.3 million in the same period a year earlier. The retailer also saw its net sales grow about 6% to $247.5 million, from $232.8 million.

Same-store sales declined 0.1%, although direct marketing sales increased 23.5% and combined same-store and online sales increased 2.4%. Jos. A. Bank incurred $1.2 million of legal and professional expenses in connection with the company's bid to acquire The Men's Wearhouse.

Walmart International president and CEO Doug McMillon isn’t due to replace current Wal-Mart Stores president and CEO Mike Duke until February, but when he does the most pressing matter on a long list of priorities will be executing the company’s digital vision.

A record 700 new Dollar General stores are slated to open in 2014, the company announced Thursday morning after reporting third-quarter results and tempering its full-year sales forecast.

Same-stores sales at Dollar General increased 4.4% and total sales increased 10.5% to $4.38 billion during the third quarter ended Nov. 1. Profits increase 14% to $237 million from $208 million and earnings per share increased 19% to 74 cents from 62 cents.

Aisle50, an online technology platform that delivers grocery discounts on major and local brands to consumers, has teamed up with premium brands such as Clorox, Starbucks, Smuckers and Red Bull to offer consumers recurring discounts on the products they buy most often.

According to Aisle50, the move gives its retailer partners, which include Raley’s, Shop ‘n Save and Homeland Stores, an e-commerce platform that is unique within the world of groceries.

Conn’s more than doubled its consolidated net income in the third quarter of fiscal 2014 compared to the same period in the prior year, growing to about $24.4 million from $11.8 million. Total net sales increased a healthy 51%, to $310.9 million from $206.4 million.

Target spent an estimated $28 million on advertising November 3-7, which netted it nearly 12% of retail traffic during Thanksgiving weekend, according to data released this week from Kantar Media Ad Intelligence and Placed.